COUNCILLORS had to be advised against approving plans that broke the highway code at a planning meeting this week.

Members of Bradford Council's Keighley and Shipley Area Planning Panel were discussing plans for the Go Local Extra store in the Braithwaite area of Keighley at a meeting on Wednesday.

The application, by Mazhar Ali, was for a second storey to be built on the building, creating two, two bed flats. The shop area would also be slightly expanded.

The application had been recommended for refusal by planning officers, who said parking spaces allocated for the store and flats were inadequate, and would require vehicles to partly park on the pavement.

They also raised concerns about how the plans would loom over neighbouring bungalows.

The store is based next to the roundabout on Broster Avenue and Braithwaite Avenue.

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Planning officer Martyn Burke showed the panel images of the store, and added: "I think you'd agree it is not an attractive building."

He said the highways department would require four parking spaces for the shop, and two for the flats.

While there were six parking spaces laid out in front of the shop, members were told two of the spaces were "not the sufficient depth of five metres." This would mean any cars parked in these spaces would "overhang" the pavement in front of the store, and would require pedestrians to walk into the road to pass the parked cars.

There had been support from the scheme from two local Councillors. Councillor Julie Lintern (Lab, Keighley West) said: "This will improve the area and improve the building. It will provide much needed accommodation, as a lot of people want to stay on the estate."

She said parking spaces would not be in high demand as many people in the area either don't own cars, or would walk to the shop.

Members were shown an image of the side of the shop - which showed a van parked in an area used for deliveries.

Some questioned why this area could not be used to make up the extra parking.

They were told that there was no dropped kerb at that area - meaning parking there would be "unlawful." Officers also pointed out that this would require cars to pull onto and out of spaces directly onto a roundabout.

Councillor Abid Hussain (Lab, Keighley Central) recommended the plans be approved, adding: "I would like to see this development in this area."

Many other Councillors on the panel agreed, and for a time it looked as if the plans would be approved.

But Councillor Paul Godwin (Lab, Keighley West), said: "If we approve this then we are approving a car park that is illegal.

"Unless they re-think the parking it isn't acceptable. It is problematic to accept the application as it stands.

"If we accept this, we accept something that is unacceptable on highways terms."

Chair Councillor Sinead Engel (Lab, Clayton and Fairweather Green) said: "We can't be seen to endorse a breach of the highway code.

"We can't approve an application that contains a breach of highway law."

Founr members voted to refuse the plans, one voted to approve them and two abstained from voting.