AN area of wasteland is still being earmarked as a proposed "enterprise zone," despite plans to built an energy plant on a large chunk of it.

Last year Shovel Ready was granted planning permission to build a gas powered energy generation plant on a derelict plot of land off Parry Lane.

The site had been included in the Leeds City Region’s M62 Corridor Enterprise Zone as an area that, due to its good transport links, could be marketed as a major manufacturing site.

It was said the Parry Lane site could create up to 270 jobs.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority had objected to the plant, which would not create any permanent jobs, saying it would harm the chances of the site attracting high quality manufacturing jobs.

When the application for the plant was submitted, the authority said: "“The development is inconsistent with delivering high quality business and job growth’ and maximising the efficient use of sites and delivering high quality development within the manufacturing sector.

“The site has the potential to deliver up to 20,000 sq m of manufacturing floorspace and approximately 270 skilled jobs. The proposal appears to occupy and/or compromise the development of approximately a third of the enterprise zone site for employment uses.

“Therefore there is likely to be a significant net reduction in these economic outputs which will have adverse impact on City Region and local economic regeneration objectives.”

The Bradford Council planning officers who approved the plant pointed out that:"The site remains vacant and there have been no planning applications submitted for manufacturing or any other employment uses."

The West Yorkshire Combined authority has declined to comment on the site's future since the plans were approved.

However, the recently released Made In Bradford Economic Strategy, which looks at economic plans for Bradford until 2030, still includes the site in its list of Enterprise Zones that provide "key development opportunities."

A Parry Lane enterprise zone is still included in the list of possible "catalysts for growth" for Bradford in the coming years, along with similar zones at Gain Lane and Staithgate Lane.