WILSDEN councillors have spoken out against plans to build a livestock building at Croft Stables in the nearby hamlet of Harecroft.

The parish councillors agreed not to support the application unless Bradford Council could confirm it had received a viable business plan.

Councillors were concerned about an apparent proliferation of buildings on the site.

They claimed that previously-erected buildings were not being used for agricultural purposes in line with a previous planning application.

Councillors asked for a Bradford planning officer to visit the site to determine the true facts about the case.

The application was for an 18.2 by 7.6 metre building to be created on the footprint of a static caravan that had been on the site while nearby stables were being converted.

The new building would be used for the intensive rearing of beef cattle, with the herd eventually numbering 60 animals.

In their written objection to Bradford Council, parish councillors were concerned that the application did not say how liquid and solid manure from the cows would be drained and disposed of.

They wrote: “It is unclear whether the flooring is concrete or similar impermeable material but if not, the uncontrolled liquid effluent leakage into the area around the

building is in our view totally unacceptable.”