Housing development recommended for approval

The development near Low Moor Telephone Exchange would include 85 affordable homes

Plans to build more than 170 homes on fields in Bradford have been recommended for approval despite more than 100 objections to the development.

Homes By Honey wants to build 173 houses on land off Abb Scott Lane, near the Low Moor Telephone Exchange, including 85 affordable homes.

A total of 113 objections have been lodged, raising concerns around traffic, the loss of green space and fears that it could lead to a "loss of identity for Low Moor".

Bradford Council's regulatory and appeals committee is due to meet on Thursday to consider the plans.

Although the site is currently fields with a few agricultural buildings, it does not fall within the greenbelt, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

There is an area of greenbelt directly south of the site.

The location had previously been allocated as suitable for housing in Bradford's Local Plan, but this allocation has since lapsed.

The application said: "The dwellings will comprise a range of sizes, from two-bedroom properties to four-bedroom properties, across a mixture of house types.

"Given the significant shortfall currently faced by the council, the delivery of the proposed dwellings will make an important contribution to the provision of housing land supply."

One objector argued the site should be used to provide bungalows or flats for elderly people, while another said the land should be used "as a place for teenagers to go".

Several pointed out that roads in the area were already busy, with the development likely to cause further congestion.

Planning officers said: "There is an urgent need to increase the supply of new homes across the district.

"This proposal would provide much needed new housing in a sustainable location and the provision of 173 homes is therefore a factor weighing significantly in favour of the proposal."

The report said the developer would be required to pay the council £500,000 to fund local improvements to the junction of Abb Scott Lane and Huddersfield Road if the plans are approved.

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