OXENHOPE'S Manorlands Hospice has submitted plans to build a temporary office to provide more space for its community nurse specialists.

Details accompanying the proposal explain that the one-storey building is expected to be required for a period of about five years.

The statement adds: "The office complex is to be situated on an existing lawned area within [Manorlands'] grounds to provide much-needed additional office space for the hospice.

"The office complex will be a timber-clad portable cabin structure with the necessary concrete base and services.

"Some new paths will also be constructed to allow easy access."

Manorlands director Lizzie Procter said the hospice's existing office for its community nurses is too small to accommodate them whenever they are all present.

"This will enable them to come together and have meetings and education sessions and will also be good for outpatients coming into visit them," she said.

"We've got some money set aside for it. We want to have it in place as soon as possible.

"We do need this building to house these staff because we've now employed more clinical nurse specialists to meet the needs of people out in the community.

"We'd like a temporary building because the nature of this area of land and the nearby trees means it would be difficult to have a permanent building.

"It's also temporary because we're still exploring whether this is the best place for our community nurse team to be."

A spokesman for the firm contracted to carry out the development said: "The structure will have minimal impact on the surrounding landscape, and will be positioned so that no trees or their roots will be affected.

"Paths and steps will also be constructed. These will be demolished and removed from the site once the structure is removed.

"All evidence of the temporary structure will be demolished and removed from site and the lawned area is to be re-instated."

The application was considered by members of Oxenhope Parish Council last Wednesday. (Oct 22) They recommended Bradford Council planners should accept the proposals.

Speaking after the planning committee meeting, parish council chairman, Councillor Tony Maw said: "We didn't have any problem with the application. We were very happy with it, and as a council we are quite supportive of the hospice.

"As it's a temporary building, we even queried whether it needs planning permission at all, but then it is in a conservation area."

Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice is in Hebden Road, and cares for people with terminal or serious illnesses. The hospice operates 24 hours a day for its patients and visitors, and employs 25 full-time and 31 part-time staff.