COUNCILLORS have approved a controversial housing application, despite advice from their own heritage officers.

Cliffe View in Allerton is a cul de sac containing a number of Grade II listed buildings, some dating back to the 1800s.

Plans to build a “modest” single storey house on an area of waste land next to 19 Cliffe View were first granted by Bradford Council in 2009.

Construction recently started, but work was stopped after concerns were raised that the plans were different to what had originally been approved. A planning application was then submitted to increase the size of the previously approved property.

The application, by Iftikhar Ali, attracted a number of objections from neighbours, and was heavily criticised by the Council’s heritage officers, who said the new, larger home would harm the setting of the surrounding listed buildings.

They said: “The proposed dwelling is wholly incompatible with its context. It makes minimal effort to integrate. The impact on the setting of the listed buildings must be the primary planning consideration, and it would be expected that any development would maintain or enhance the setting of the listed buildings.

“There is no apparent public benefit in the proposed scheme to offset the significant harm which it would cause to the setting of the listed buildings.”

The plans went before Bradford Council’s Bradford Area Planning Panel last week, with members advised to refuse the application to protect the heritage of the area. But members went against advice of their own officers, and approved the plans.

At one point during their discussion, when it appeared the committee would unanimously pass the application, the Council’s legal advisor had to remind them that as Councillors that part of their duty was to protect the district’s listed buildings.

The changes include adding first floor accommodation - meaning the size of the property would increase from 3.8 metres to 5.9 metres.

Despite the recommendations, members of the panel said they had no problem with the building’s proposed design, with many saying it was an improvement over the originally approved single storey house. They felt it would not harm the appearance of the area more than the already approved design.

Chair Shabir Hussain (Lab, Manningham), said: “The first design looks atrocious to me, it should never have been passed. I think this design looks a lot better.”

Some members said the only problem they had with the application was the materials used, and asked the developer if stone could be used instead of render.

When it came to the vote three members voted to refuse the plans and three voted to approve them. Chair Cllr Hussain cast the deciding vote, allowing the larger house to be built.