A MAJOR development planned for Embsay could bring up to 70 new homes to the village.

A property developer from Burley-in-Wharfedale is set to apply to the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to redevelop a contaminated "brownfield" site in the village.

Burley Developments plans to build up to 70 dwellings on Brooksbank Industries' disused tannery site. It proposing a mixed use scheme for residential and business purposes, complete with a crche.

The application, which has been seen by the parish council, features a variety of homes ranging from one-bedroom flats to four-bedroom houses.

But Jean Robinson, of Pasture Road, believes it would be bad news for the village: "The site is bounded by a nature reserve in a woodland setting. On the Pasture Road side of the development there are three old tannery dams teeming with wildlife and a 17th century Manor House," she said.

"With such a large development comes all the accompanying problems of traffic, noise, light pollution, and pressure on local facilities. The school is currently full and a traffic assessment last January showed over 2,000 vehicles coming into Embsay."

Miss Robinson is also concerned that the application is being "rushed through" without proper public consultation.

But the managing director of Burley Developments, Mike Wormald, told the Herald: "There was an initial consultation several months ago. We agreed to sell 14 affordable houses at a reduced price to local residents at the request of the parish council."

The developers have also agreed to buy the millponds on Pasture Road from Brooksbank to donate to the council free of charge.

"They will remain as a public open space," said Mr Wormald.

Burley Developments is also likely to agree to build an extension to the village primary school.

Brooksbank has unsuccessfuly tried to market the site for industrial use. Under the new proposals the four-storey tannery would be demolished to make way for a four-storey block of apartments.

The developers say the scheme would clean up hazardous chrome and asbestos at the site and tidy up a similarly contaminated landfill.

"We appreciate that people would rather convert brown sites to nature reserves, but there is a lack of affordable housing in North Yorkshire," said Mr Wormald. "If a site is contaminated and needs cleaning up it makes sense to redevelop there".

The national park authority confirmed an application had been received.

"The application was incomplete so we have not formally started on the process," said a spokesman.