A plan for 230 houses near a congested road in Steeton has been slammed.

Craven ward district councillor Andrew Mallinson criticised the Skipton Properties’ designs for the Thornhill Road site as “yet another council estate with no imagination or character”.

He also expressed his disappointment that criticisms made by residents during a public consultation seemed to have been ignored.

It is the second time the plans have been submitted after Bradford Council asked the company to withdraw its first application for 181 houses, reportedly because of a lack of public consultation.

Cllr Mallinson said: “At the public consultation there were issues around terrace properties at the centre of the proposed housing estate being inappropriate and those issues have been ignored.

“Residents said the houses on Thornhill Road were detached and semi-detached so terrace houses were not in keeping but the designs still show terrace houses.

“They are also planning to put traffic lights at the junction of Thornhill Road and Skipton Road. It is common local knowledge that is an extremely busy junction and what will need to be looked at is the congestion on Skipton Road as the main route to the hospital.”

But Cllr David Mullen, chairman of Steeton with Eastburn Parish Council, said the site had been designated for housing under the Unitary Development Plan for last 30 years.

He said: “We know we are going to get those houses, they are going to be built, it is not a question of if but when — it is just a case of getting the best we can for the parish.

“In Steeton and Eastburn there are 1,800 properties so it is a big increase to our size. I think it will have a big impact on the area. If you take the average two point four children per family that is 500 children and where will they all go to school? Both primary schools in the area are full to capacity.

“Where will they go to the doctors? The practices we have are very busy at certain times of the day — everything needs to be thought out very carefully.”

Cllr Mallinson added that he hoped to call a public meeting about the new plans and said he would be requesting that the planning meeting would take place in Steeton.

The planning meeting is not expected until June or July.