Paradise lost - plans for overgrown city centre site refused

The site at Paradise Street has been empty for around nine years, and is currently covered with vegetation.

Earlier this year, a planning application to build 420 square metres of industrial space on the site was submitted by Mohammed Saeed.

The application described the site as “disused overgrown land” and said the plans would create five small units.

But the plans have now been refused by Bradford Council due to concerns over the impact of traffic to and from the site.

And officers also argued the empty site currently had “ecological value” and could be home to “invertebrates, bats and other mammals.”

The site lies between a temple and a mix of industrial units and garages.

The application has been refused for three separate reasons.

The vacant site on Paradise Street (Image: T&A)

Highways officers were concerned the development could lead to vehicles reversing onto neighbouring roads, which are often filled with parked cars.

They said: “The proposed units are larger than 'starter units'. Whilst the sizes of the units proposed would require a forecourt depth of 10m, which is being offered, there is no turning area within the site and vehicles would have to reverse onto or from the highway, which would not be supported.

“The units are also required to provide one off-street parking space per 50sqm and two spaces would therefore be required per unit. No parking is being shown.

“Also given the level of parking that takes place on both sides of Dyson Street it is considered that the size of vehicle that could visit the proposed development i.e. rigid vehicles of up to 10m in length, then access to the units would likely be obstructed.”

Officers also pointed out that the work would lead to the loss of wildlife habitat – even if it is one that has sprung up through dereliction.

They said: “It was noticed on a recent visit that the site is overgrown and a further search on google maps has revealed that it has been like this for over nine years.

“Therefore, there is ecological value in terms of habitat for invertebrates, birds, bats and other mammals. The mosaic of gardens in urban and suburban areas combine to provide habitat of more value than the individual gardens alone.”

Officers say the development would require an assessment of how work would improve biodiversity on the site.

The final reason for refusal was that: “The building would present an incongruous and dominant feature on a prominent location adjacent to highways on both sides.”