A DEVELOPMENT of flats, one of which was described by planners as “extremely small,” would leave future residents “oppressively confined.”

Planning officers at Bradford Council have refused a planning application to turn a detached building on Highfield Road, Idle, into seven flats.

The stone building, last used as offices, is next to the entrance to the Epta UK factory, and is currently empty.

The planning application, submitted by Shadaib Hussain, would have seen the building divided into seven flats – one of which would have just 21 square metres of living space.

The minimum expected floor space of a flat for one person is 37 square metres.

The Council’s Housing Standards team raised concerns about the development – and the application has now been refused.

A report by planning officers said: “Studios 2 and 4 have a proposed space of 21 and 23 sq metres. This is extremely small and drastically below the minimum space standard for a one bed, one person unit.

“They would represent oppressively confined forms of residential development.

“No evidence has been submitted by the agent to substantiate their claims that such small one bed studios are in demand in the area.

“The development would not provide acceptable living conditions for the future occupants of the proposed apartments, with regard to internal space.”