A planned 67 home estate that would encroach on the Green Belt in Bierley has been refused by Bradford Council.

Keepmoat Homes submitted a planning application to develop a 1.84 hectare site off Spen View Lane in January, describing it as “a new place for sustainable family living.”

The proposals led to 87 people lodging objections with Bradford Council, and a petition calling for the scheme to be scrapped being signed by over 360 people.

Objectors pointed out that part of the site fell within Green Belt, and argued that other sites should be developed first. They also raised concerns about the impact of the estate on local roads.

One of the objectors said: “Perhaps Bradford Council could tell us the reason it wants this latest application to go through quickly and without proper consultation, despite objections raised by locals?”

The application has this week been refused by planning officers - nine months after it was submitted.

Plan for new crematorium in Bierley is submitted

Although much of the site is allocated as a “safeguarded site” allocated for future housing or employment development, a stretch of land lies in the Green Belt.

Planning officers had raised concerns about this encroachment, and also about how the scheme would impact a planned cycleway to the South of the site.

The route, National Cycle Route 66, is on a former railway embankment. Highways officers said the plans by Keepmoat “fails to adequately incorporate the National Cycle Route in a way that would provide a safe and secure route for its users.”

They also said there was not enough information on how footpaths in the site would link up to off site walking routes.

Referring to the the housing plans encroaching on the Green Belt, officers said: “There are other, more appropriate brownfield sites within the urban boundaries of the District, that should be developed before the release of any Green Belt land.

“It is not considered that any exceptional circumstances exist to justify the granting of planning permission for the development and therefore the principle of residential development on the site is not acceptable.”

Matt Edwards of the Green Party, who has campaigned against the plans, said: “This is great news for the people of Bierley. Shetcliffe Lane is only a narrow road and just can’t support the number of houses being proposed and the new crematorium.

“There is still another application pending for the North field of Lockwood Farm and I know people living nearby hope that this will be rejected too.

“We can’t just keep building new houses without any concern for the community already living there.”

A separate application for 82 homes to be built on a neighbouring site is still progressing through the planning system.