A PLAN to build up to 40 homes on an old mill site will be discussed at a meeting today.

The application, submitted by Stirling Investment Properties, is for a site formerly occupied by Foreside Mill on Halifax Road, Denholme Gate.

A planning report to be discussed by the Regulatory and Appeals Committee says following demolition, the site was secured with wooden hoardings which have since fallen into disrepair.

It outlines that 35 objections have been submitted in response to the application including concern that Denholme does not have the capacity to deal with further development; that brownfield sites are available; increased traffic congestion; the local primary school and GP surgery are not big enough to accommodate more people and approving the development “would set a dangerous precedent for development in the Green Belt”.

Denholme Town Council said while it would welcome developments on the site, it feels this development is “inappropriate and would cause significant harm to the openness of the Green Belt”.

They also said a similar application was submitted in 2017 and refused, with the decision upheld by the Planning Inspectorate in 2018.

In assessing the application, the report says: “The site is located within the settlement boundary of Denholme Gate and is washed over by Green Belt. The development would not cause substantial harm to the openness of the Green Belt and it would not conflict with the purposes of including land within it.

"The development would re-use previously developed land and would make a valuable contribution towards meeting identified unmet housing need, including affordable housing, within the area of the local planning authority.”

It says the development is considered to qualify as an exception to inappropriate development in the Green Belt and it it will “improve the appearance of a currently derelict site and provide a substantial amount of open space”.

It adds: “The outline principles for open space and landscaping demonstrate that, through the approval of further details, a high quality landscaping scheme can be secured which is sympathetic to local character and ensures that the  development is successfully integrated into its surroundings.

"The development would not result in any unmitigated adverse impacts on the South Pennine Moors Special Protection Area/South Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation and through the approval of further details the development will secure net gains for biodiversity. The development would not result in any unmitigated adverse implications in respect of residential amenity, highway and pedestrian safety, drainage, land contamination, air quality or noise nuisance.”

The application is recommended for approval subject to a number of conditions, plus the completion of a Section 106 agreement to secure 25 per cent affordable housing provision; 4,475m2 of open space provision and a contribution of £26,000 for the provision of bus shelters at two stops.

If councillors choose not to approve the application, they can refer it to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. A third option is that if the Secretary of State confirms he does not intend to intervene, Bradford Council’s Assistant Director for Planning, Transportation and Highways can then be authorised to grant planning permission.