PLANS to build houses on the site of a former Victorian orphanage have re-emerged.

Last year, a controversial planning application for 11 large homes on the former Joseph Nutter orphanage site was withdrawn by Opulent Land Developments.

There had been several objections to the plan, raising concerns that the homes would harm the appearance of the neighbouring Grade II listed Horton Park.

Now the company has submitted another application, again for 11 homes.

The plans, which have been submitted to Bradford Council, say: “To meet the housing needs of large families the proposed buildings are necessarily large and of two storeys, plus habitable attic space. Furthermore, their scale ensures that, like Joseph Nutter House, they have some presence when experienced from Horton Park.”

Joseph Nutter Orphanage was built in the 1880s, and had more recently been used by Askham Bryan College.

Despite the building’s age and grand appearance, it was not listed, and a recent attempt to list the building was dismissed by Historic England.

This lack of protection meant an application to demolish the building in 2019 was successful, and the site, accessed via Cousen Road, has been vacant ever since.

A decision on the application is expected in August.