BUSINESS and housing plans for a former mill site in Horsforth have been lodged with Leeds City Council.

Developers have already held a public exhibition of the outline plans for 5,000 square metres of business units and up to 150 new homes at the site off Low Hall Road.

And they say they have listened to fears over increased traffic and suggestions to help people to and from the site.

Andrew Bruckland of Horsforth Riverside Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) said: "We are grateful to the residents and people working at businesses in the neighbourhood of our site who took time to look at our proposals and let us have their thoughts.

"Access is clearly a key issue and we have responded to this by proposing a detailed package of improvements including the introduction of traffic signals at the junction between Calverley Lane (south) and the A6120 outer ring road - a move that we believe will bring considerable benefits for all road users, including existing residents and businesses in the area."

The proposals also include the provision of new pedestrian walkways on Low Hall Road and Calverley Lane (south), a new controlled pedestrian crossing on the A6120 and the introduction of a regular bus service to the new development.

The developers have also said they would be willing to introduce a green travel plan which would include cycle parking, showers and a locker room on the business park to encourage people to cycle to work.

Mr Bruckland added: "We feel that the combination of light industrial units and housing can transform this brown field site and provide a high quality working and living environment that is in keeping with the existing character of the area."

Since it closed in 2001, the riverside mill has become a target for vandals.

An earlier plan for 350 homes by the Pemberstone Group Ltd (of which the current applicant is a part) was withdrawn three years ago just before the scheme was due to be considered by Leeds City Council. It had been recommended for refusal.

Horsforth Riverside's scheme includes large areas of open space, a children's play area and landscaping retaining existing trees and the opening up of a route to the River Aire.

At July's exhibition of the plans at St Margaret's Church Hall, some were concerned that the proposed housing would not be sustainable.

The town's largest employer, Clariant UK Ltd, next door to the proposed development site, has also claimed that the housing part of the development could hamper investment in its own site because of safety fears.