A 91-house development on a former quarry site in Wyke has been thrown out by planners, who said the homes would lead to a loss in the area’s biodiversity.
It makes the scheme, planned for land off Wilson Road in Wyke, one of the highest profile developments to be refused over recently implemented planning rules that aim to maintain local wildlife.
The 3.25 hectare site, near the recently opened Wyke Sports Village, was once used for shale quarrying and as a brickworks, but has been empty for decades.
H Birkby and Son submitted the application for 91 homes on the site in September 2021.
It followed a number of previous plans for housing on the site being refused.
They said 20 per cent of the homes in the development would be classed as affordable.
55 people had objected to the plans, raising concerns about additional traffic on Wilson Road and the suitability of the site for homes.
One objector said: “Letting every green space go will result in a miserable future for an over populated city.”
Planning rules introduced in recent years requires new development to provide a “net gain” in biodiversity.
It means that there must be at least 10 per cent more biodiversity, plant, animal, insect and bird life, after the development is completed compared to before work began.
It encourages developers to plant trees and create on-site wildlife habitats.
If developers cannot provide that on site, they will be encouraged to pay for work, such as tree planting or creating wildflower meadows, on nearby sites.
A Bradford Council report into the planned Wilson Road development found that rather than increase biodiversity on the site, the plans would lead to a 67 per cent drop in biodiversity.
Biodiversity officers said: “The layout of the development only includes small patches of habitat and, for example, no street trees and no SUDS (sustainable urban drainage system) habitats.
“It is considered that more effort could be made on site, particularly with street trees.
“If this were done, then there is the opportunity to try and achieve a good Biodiversity Net Gain with some improvements on site and the offsetting site. There is still likely to be a failure to meet trading rules and a shortfall of grassland.”
They had suggested that developers could have funded improvements to neighbouring Low Moor Banks if they felt they were unable to provide biodiversity on site.
Officers also said there was “inadequate” information about drainage on the future housing site.
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