RESIDENTS and politicians have reacted with anger and dismay after being forced to renew their fight against plans for 124 homes on Occupation Lane in Keighley.

Campaigners celebrated last December when the application from Persimmon Homes for the greenfield site near Oakworth Road was rejected by Bradford Council planners.

But they have this week learned the company has lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate to have the ruling overturned.

Ward councillor Adrian Farley claims it is unfair decision-making has been taken away from local people and given to a government department hundreds of miles away.

Cllr Farley, who represents Keighley West Ward on Bradford Council, said: “The appeal process seems to go against the concept of localism – it’s taken out of the hands of local councillors.

"The original decision was based on them knowing the area. If the decision had gone the other way, residents wouldn’t have had a right of appeal."

Cllr Farley said there was huge opposition to the application, adding: "It’s not the usual ‘not in my backyard’, it’s genuine traffic and access concerns.”

And fellow ward councillor, Brian Morris, said: “We want don’t want this development, so we will fight it. I will do everything I can to support residents.

“It’s a bad idea to put housing there. It’s the last bit of green on that side of town. There’ll be housing all the way up to Oakworth."

Council planning chiefs originally turned down the Occupation Lane development because it would create unjustified access to the junction of Wheathead Lane and Oakworth Road, without any new measures to control extra traffic.

There were also concerns residents of the new estate would try to use a second access along Occupation Lane, which is little more than a track.

Occupation Lane resident Robert Whitworth, one of the original objectors, said an application for just two houses in the area was turned down in 2010 on appeal because the Planning Inspectorate felt existing access arrangements – similar to those in Persimmon’s application – were not suitable.

Former town mayor Margaret Ward, another local resident, said people were not against the principle of new housing off Occupation Lane, so long as more suitable access was created to Oakworth Road.

She said the currently-proposed access, along Camborne Way and through the Nessfield/Wheathead Lane neighbourhood, would add greatly to existing traffic issues.

She added: “Everyone is trying to drive from the existing houses on to Oakworth Road – it’s a nightmare at the moment.”

Keighley housing campaign group Bandag said the Occupation Lane application was refused last December due to issues raised by local residents and “very real” problems with access to the site.

Spokesman, June Newell, said: “That should have been the end of the matter. It’s high time that when a planning decision is refused on valid grounds then that is the end of it, no further appeal should be allowed.

“Developers know full well councils cannot afford to fight these appeals due to the high legal costs involved, and planning permission then follows.”

Persimmon Homes said that it believed its original planning application last year had taken into account concerns regarding access to its proposed housing development.

Wayne Gradwell, managing director at Persimmon Homes West Yorkshire, said: "As part of the application, we conducted independent transport assessments which were assessed by officers of the council as part of the planning application process.

“The outcome of this process was that the application was recommended for approval by officers at Planning Committee in December.

 “It is disappointing that despite the Planning Officer’s recommendation the Planning Committee rejected our proposals and refused the application. 

“We have lodged a planning appeal against this decision to refuse the proposed development off Occupation Lane, as we believe we have acknowledged and addressed the highway concerns and we remain committed to bringing much needed new homes to the local area.”

lWhat do you think? We welcome letters on this or any other subject. E-mail richard.parker@keighleynews.co.uk or write to the Content Editor, Keighley News, 80-86 North Street, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD21 3AG. Please include your full name, address and daytime telephone number.