PLANS to revamp a well-known scout centre have been refused by planners over highways safety concerns.

Earlier this year, Aire Valley Scouts lodged proposals for the Sconce Camp Site at Sconce Lane in Baildon. It was hoped they would improve "deteriorating" buildings, disabled facilities, plus drop-off and pick-up congestion around the site.

The group also wanted to make the most of the site's rural position for astronomy, creating a permanent observatory for the Bradford Astronomical Society.

The application said: "Aire Valley Scouts recognise that in order to continue to provide a scout facility for local young people and to remain financially sustainable, there is a need to ensure that the facility is used by a wider cross section of the community and more intensely.

"The site was largely redeveloped in the 1980’s when scouting was still for boys only with only a few female leaders and some Guide groups as the only female users.

"The buildings do not provide good facilities for mixed groups with females being disadvantaged. The buildings are also inadequate for many groups who now want to use the facilities but have young people with access issues and special needs."

It added: "The scouts recognise the aim of the equality act and are seeking to make the site as accessible and flexible to meet the needs of all groups.

"Many groups already say that the site is better than many other campsites and activity centres. However, this still often involves groups compromising and making adaptations to suit their group or having to limit use for some individuals.

"The proposed improvements will greatly improve the experience offered, allow the site to maintain a strong reputation through maintaining high quality facilities and allow greater use by groups with disadvantaged children including local schools and meet the needs of inclusive groups of scouts and other young persons' organisations."

But planners describe access via Sconce Lane as "problematic" and said the Council's Highways Engineer raised a number of concerns.

The decision report says: "The bridleway has a narrow width suitable for one way traffic and only one small passing place along the long section (with length of approximately 300m) leading from Potter Brow Lane to the site.

"Visibility at the junction of Sconce Lane with Potter Brow Lane is poor with no footways on Potter Brow Road. Whilst submitted information explains that the proposal would not increase customer capacity it goes on to explain that the facility would be used by a wider cross section of the community more intensely."

It says the proposal would likely lead to increased use of a "substandard" junction and increased chance of crashes.

The reason for rejection is given as: "The proposal would be likely to lead to an intensification of use of a narrow public bridleway, which is only suitable for one-way traffic with poor visibility at its junction with the adopted highway network.

"The proposal would therefore increase the likelihood of bridleway users reversing a long distance and onto the highway to allow another to pass, which would lead to conditions prejudicial to bridleway and highway safety."