'Denholme housing plans claims are a nonsense' (From Keighley News)

'Denholme housing plans claims are a nonsense'

1:00pm Friday 1st March 2013 in Keighley By Chris Young

Plans to develop a field in Denholme will be unveiled to the public in March – but the news has been met with scepticism even before full details have been revealed.

The future of a field off New Road/Long Causeway is the subject of an exhibition at Denholme Mechanics’ Institute on March 12 and 13, when plans for new housing are expected to be revealed.

Bradford Council released a draft of its Local Development Framework in 2011, which showed 450 new houses could be built in Denholme during the next 20 years. This field was one of several areas described as ‘potentially suitable’ for housing.

But with several other sites in the village earmarked for homes still untouched, such as the former mill that sits just a few metres from the field, developers have been called on to build there first rather than concreting over green land.

Councillor Simon Cooke, representing Bingley Rural on Bradford Council, said: “We already have a number of large planning permissions that have been granted in Denholme, which haven’t been built on yet.

“I just worry we could end up with lots of sites with planning permission but no new houses actually being built. It is nonsense when this happens. Just a hundred yards from there is the old mill, which has been demolished and is now for sale.

“It doesn’t seem people are queuing up to buy houses in Denholme.”

Alan Bell lives in Mount Pleasant, a row of houses facing the field. He said: “The traffic here on the bend is absolutely diabolical – it is an accident waiting to happen.

“When you pull out onto the road, you take your life into your own hands. I wouldn’t want to live here if they build on there.”

Tim and Robert Hoyle own a garage near the land. Robert said: “The road is an accident blackspot. They should be building on brownfield land – there is plenty of it about. It will set a precedent if they start building on fields.”

Denholme councillor Dan Holmes said: “My major concerns are we are being asked to approve several new development housing sites when there doesn’t seem to be the roads to support the extra population, no additional infrastructure in Denholme to support the extra population and no extra funding for the local school, which is pushing its resources already.”

The exhibition runs from noon to 7.30pm both days.