A DEVELOPMENT of 21 shops, offices and light industrial units could be built on a plot of Bradford land if new plans are approved.

An area of undeveloped land next to the Al-Jamia Suffa-Tul-Islam Grand Mosque on Horton Park Avenue is the subject of a planning application recently submitted to Bradford Council.

According to the application, the plans “would create a well-used and vibrant area for shops very much like the Great Horton Road area.”

It says the development could create 25 full time and 30 part time jobs, and help small scale businesses to expand.

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The layout of the site, a short distance from the Laisteridge Lane student village, would see 12, three-storey shops built facing onto All Saints Road, three two storey light industrial units in the centre of the development and six office type units adjacent to the Acorn Care Home site.

There would be 36 parking spaces spread out over the development.

Although the plans say the use of the site will be flexible, the application estimates that retail will take up the bulk of the site - around 1,693 square metres.

General industrial will take up 530.4 square metres and office space will take up 630 square metres.

The application was submitted to Bradford Council by a Mr Mohammad late last year, but has only been validated this past week.

It says: “The proposed development consists of various sized units, some are retail, some light industrial and some office. The space will provide valuable floor area for small business and local enterprises that have outgrown the home office environment and need more storage/office or warehousing space.

“The design is such that the buildings can be let as one or subdivided to truly be flexible.”

The application also includes a report on how the development would impact Bradford city centre.

Planning departments are usually discouraged from approving retail developments that could draw people away from existing retail centres such as city and town centres or high streets.

Last year Bradford Council refused a plan for a retail development at the former site of The Gallopers on Wakefield Road, partly for this reason

The application says: “We do not feel given the distance from the town centre that the proposed development has significant amounts of available floor area in any one sector to have any significant impact on facilities in the town centre or elsewhere in the localised area.

“The position of the site means it is well placed for access to the city centre but also to the main arterial roads and railways. Businesses sited on such a development would not be the businesses the town centre would attract and therefore the provision of such units would not be detrimental to the continued success of parts of the city centre.

“The amount of retail space created is a small percentage of the development, however, it is anticipated that this will become a well-used and vibrant area for shops very much like the Great Horton Road area. With the good vehicle access and on street (All Saints Road) viable businesses could be created which would relieve pressure on similar properties elsewhere.”

A decision on the application is expected in late July.