COUNCILLORS have approved plans for a major new housing development on a Keighley field.

They were told that the plans would include traffic calming measures on neighbouring roads, as well as hundreds of thousands of pounds of contributions to local services.

Controversial plans to build homes on Shann Lane were first approved by Bradford Council in 2013 - but only at an outline stage, with minimal detail other than access.

Yesterday much more detailed versions of the plans went to before the Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee, where members approved the development of 128 homes.

The most recent plans include the removal of two homes from the original scheme and a change that would see some of the homes facing out onto Shann Lane.

The application had been submitted by the Trustees of the Chatsworth Settlement, which owns the 4.8 hectare field in the North East of Keighley.

Conditions of the 2013 approval are that 15 per cent of the properties are classed as affordable homes, a contribution of £133,628 is made “to be used for the improvement of the existing playing pitches/play areas within Keighley” and that the developer provides £235,702 to local schools to create extra places.

Another condition was that the developer provide highways improvements around the site.

But due to the site being reconfigured, with houses facing out to Shann Lane, these traffic works would be expanded, including traffic calming methods on Shann Lane.

The houses would be a mix of three, four and five bed houses, and a report to the committee said the development would make a “significant contribution towards delivering much needed family housing.”

Members of the committee were told that several people had objected to the plans, saying the site was on Greenbelt land. But Planning officers assured members that the site had never been classified as Greenbelt.

Members were told that Shann Lane was a relatively straight road, with open fields on both side, and the traffic calming measures would deter drivers from speeding down the road.

Jo Steel, agent for the applicants, told the committee there was challenging topography at the site, with the highest point being around 30 metres higher than the lowest point on the site.

He said at every stage of the design process, the applicants had worked with Council and environmental officers.

Referring to the objections, he said: “Some of these issues are not planning matters, such as loss of views. Others are incorrect, the site is not Greenbelt and never has been as some objectors have claimed.

“Other issues will be dealt with through conditions of any approval.

“Some have raised concerns about how the development will affect traffic on Shann Lane, but these concerns are not shared by highways officers. The traffic calming being offered will in fact benefit all those who use that highway.”

The Committee then unanimously approved the plans.

One condition of the application is that a proportion of the homes be built with electric car charging points.

The route of a public footpath on the site will also be moved as part of the development, taking it further away from a neighbouring property.