BRADFORD Council's planning department has approved a reserved matters application for new homes on land off Sun Lane in Burley-in-Wharfedale.

David Wilson Homes submitted the application in November 2021.

The 63 acre (25.6 hectare) site already had outline planning permission, which established the parameters of the development and supported the principle of new homes and community facilities on this site. This approval was for up to 500 homes.

The scheme now approved is for a reduced residential development of 475 dwellings comprising a mix of two (64), three (199), four (144), and five (50) bed houses together with 18 two bed apartments. The layout of the development comprises a mix of terraced, semi-detached and detached dwellings.

New allotments for the local community are planned and the application includes 1.78 hectares of land set aside for a new primary school.

The reserved matters application attracted 52 objections. Objections included: It is being proposed to be built on greenbelt land; there are already too many houses in the village; houses that have been built in the village over the past few years have not been of any benefit to the village at all; if the houses go ahead there will be very little gap between Burley in Wharfedale and Ben Rhydding; the proposed development will ruin and change the whole character of the village; Bradford Council should transfer this proposed build to a brownfield site, of which there are many in the Bradford area.

Other concerns were raised over matters relating to the visual amenity of the development, highways issues, drainage, trees and hedging, conservation matters, wildlife and ecology, education and recreation facilities.

However, a planning officer's report says: "The principle of residential development on the site has been previously accepted through the granting of outline planning permission under reference 16/07870/MAO and it is considered that the details submitted through this application in relation to the number of units, the density of the development, and, the mix of housing types are acceptable."

On concerns about the impact on local schools and health services the report says; "... any adverse impacts on local doctors/dentists/schools arising directly from the development can be addressed via the allocation of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) receipts which can be used towards expanding educational and public health infrastructure."

The application was approved by Bradford Council planning department on July 20, 2022 and the development must begin within two years.