Plans for underground eco-home refused by Bradford Council

Planners said it would be a "safety risk", a "detriment to the landscape character" and "harmful to the green belt". 

The eco-home would have been located on green belt land off Low Lane, Queensbury, and would have been powered by a roof-mounted array of PV solar panels and a 5kW 10m high pole-mounted wind turbine.

The application by Nikki Robinson was on a plot of sloping land comprised of a manege (horse riding arena) atop an old slag heap with a flat-roofed and concrete block-walled stable and a hay shed.

In the plans, the applicant spoke of her wish to live on the land in the underground eco-house.

A design and access statement prepared by Moger Property, said: "The house would be formed within the slope of the land where the slag heap now is and then buried. Only the south face of the building would be visible. This would be faced in coursed local stone.

"The grassed embankments on either side of the dwelling would be retained. The roof would be covered in meadow grass and include an array of PV solar panels. Roof windows will fill the rear parts of the dwelling with daylight.

"The house will be highly thermally insulated and heated by a Ground Source Heat Pump. The latter’s pipework will be laid in a series of trenches within the plot to the south side of the house, or, cost and geology permitting, vertically down one or more boreholes."

However, Bradford Council's planners gave three reasons for the refusal of the plans.

In the decision, Richard Hollinson, assistant director of planning, transportation and highways, said: "The proposal represents inappropriate development which is harmful to the green belt.

"The development is not supported by any very special circumstances that would justify granting permission. The development would reduce the openness of the green belt."

In the second reason for refusal, it was stated "the introduction of a dwelling in this isolated location would cause unacceptable detriment to the established landscape character of the Thornton and Queensbury Landscape Character Area."

The third reason for refusal stated "the development site is in a Development High-Risk Area as defined by the Coal Authority".

It added: "There is insufficient information submitted with the application to address the fundamental concern of developing on this land. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, the proposed development would be harmful to public and private safety and risk to future occupiers of the dwelling."