PLANS to flatten an industrial site and build 24 houses in its place have been approved by Bradford Council.

An application to re-develop the site of Airedale House, off Victoria Road, Eccleshill, was submitted by Gregory Robinson Development, and approved by Bradford Council earlier this month.

The site has been home to Kitchen company the Airedale Group - with the application saying the business would re-locate elsewhere in the Bradford District if the application was approved.

The application added: "The existing factory buildings are very much of their time and are structurally challenged principally due to the dated form of construction and consequently they are no longer a commercially viable proposition for the occupants where they are in need of considerable refurbishment and repair.”

The application said the cost of developing the site meant no affordable housing could be provided.

Plans to turn a scrap yard into an industrial and retail site have been approved

Referring to this, planning officers said: " In support of this the applicant has submitted a Financial Viability Appraisal that has been independently assessed and has concurred with the conclusion that the development could not support the provision of any affordable housing without having a significant impact on the viability of the proposal.

"In this instance therefore it is recommended that no affordable housing is secured as part of the development."

Approving the scheme, planning officers said: “The scheme provides a residential scheme on an unallocated previously developed site. The scale, form, layout and design of the proposal are acceptable and present no concerns with regard to residential amenity, visual amenity and highway safety.”

The development will be made up of seven detached, 12 semi-detached and five terraced houses.

One person had objected to the application, raising concerns that the development could increase the number of cars that use Victoria Avenue as a rat run to Harrogate Road, bypassing the Coop roundabout.

But officers said: "The site is currently in use as an employment site and therefore generates traffic. Whilst the use of the site for residential purposes will increase the amount of trips to and from the site there is no evidence to suggest that there will be an increase in the number of vehicles that use Victoria Avenue as a rat run."