A PARISH council has been told that its neighbourhood plan currently has little weight to shape planning policy.

Bradford Council’s Keighley and Shipley Area Planning Panel approved a scheme to build six houses on land at St Matthew’s Close in Wilsden.

Outline plans to build on the site were first approved in 2016.

This latest application was for more detailed proposals.

Wilsden Parish Council had objected to the scheme, saying it went against its neighbourhood plan – which is currently being developed.

The plan says there should be a mix of house sizes, as the village already contains numerous four-bed homes that are under-occupied.

All six houses on the proposed development are four-bed.

At the panel meeting, parish councillor Peter Allison urged members to call for a greater mix of housing on the site.

He said that although the neighbourhood plan was still emerging, “there is no argument as to why the neighbourhood plan should be ignored.”

Planning officers said as the neighbourhood plan had not yet been ratified, there was only limited weight that could be given to it at present.