FIFTY-ONE new homes can be built on the site of a former middle school, a planning committee has decided.

The homes, many of which will be rented out for social housing, will be built on a vacant site formerly occupied by the old Bronte Middle School, in Keighley Road, Bogthorn, Keighley.

Bradford Council had applied for permission for the homes, which form part of a Government-funded programme to build affordable housing on six sites across the Bradford district.

Today, a meeting of Bradford Council’s regulatory and appeals committee heard the plans formed the first phase of a three-phase scheme to develop the site.

The second phase would involve the construction of an extra-care facility and the third would see more homes built.

Planning officer John Eyles said a development of this size would usually involve the developer having to pay sizeable contributions to local schools and infrastructure.

But he said as “a significant proportion” of the homes were affordable housing, all but a £10,000 contribution to offset any extra strain on the protected South Pennine moors was being waived.

Mr Eyles said the development was on a bus route and was considered an “extremely sustainable site”.

Although the scheme attracted 35 objections, no objectors spoke at the meeting.

Architect Peter McDermott said: “We have got a range of models that makes it look almost like a village, rather than an estate, so we think from a design point-of-view it is giving something back to the area.”

Committee member Councillor Russell Brown (Con, Worth Valley) asked about potential flooding problems, saying: “It’s called Bogthorn. Obviously, that is for a reason.”

Mr McDermott said there would be a “water attenuation” scheme put in place which would see excess water kept in tanks before being released at a controlled rate.

He said they were going to preserve as many of the trees on-site as possible, although they would have to get rid of a few which were “in the wrong condition or totally in the wrong place”.

There will be 14 two-bedroom houses, 31 three-bedroom houses and six four-bedroom houses. Although most will be social housing, some will be put up for sale.

There will be a mixture of short terraces and semi-detached homes.