Draft Bradford District Local Plan - Preferred Options (Regulation 18) February 2021

Thornton

Introduction

5.26.1 The village of Thornton is located within the South Pennine sub- area of Bradford District and is located approximately 6.5km west of Bradford, 3km north of Queensbury and 9km south-east of Keighley. It is largely residential in nature, with some local services; it is a commuter settlement for Bradford. Thornton is also notable culturally as the Bronte sister's birthplace is located here.

5.26.2 Thornton falls within the Bradford West Parliamentary Constituency and lies within the Thornton and Allerton Ward. It is a linear settlement situated on a northern hillside of Pinch Beck Valley, with a spine road of the B6145 (Thornton Road) running along the valley floor on the Sothern side of the settlement; the B6145 connects Bradford with the A629.

Figure 1: Location Plan

5.26.3 The settlement has a total population of 5,881 and a high percentage of this (61.8%) falls within the working age category (16-64). The age profile of the settlement is comparable to the West Yorkshire average with a slightly higher percentage of over 65s (18.6% compared to the sub-regional average of 16.7%). The ethnic composition of Thornton is primarily made up of people who identify themselves as White British - accounting for 92.3%. This is a notably higher proportion than the West Yorkshire average (78.4%), but is similar to other smaller rural settlements in the District.

Planning for Prosperity

5.26.4 Thornton is identified as one of six Local Growth Centres (alongside neighbouring Queensbury). This means that it is identified as an accessible, attractive and vibrant place to live, work and invest should be enhanced. Being location along a key road and public transport corridor, there is an expectation that it will make a significant contribution to meeting the District's needs for housing, employment and provide for supporting community facilities.

5.26.5 24.3% of individuals living in Thornton are amongst the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. Figure 2 shows the overall picture of deprivation in the area with 1 being the most deprived and 10 the least

Figure 2: Index of Multiple Deprivation

Economy and Employment

5.26.6 Economic activity rates are slightly higher for Thornton with 72.2% of the resident population economically active compared to the West Yorkshire average (68.5%). Average household income at £40,500 is just slightly higher than the West Yorkshire average (£38,499). The main employment sectors that the residents of Thornton work in include retail, health and social work and education.

5.26.7 There are some employment opportunities within the village such as financial and domestic services, retail, beauty and hospitality. South Square Centre is a collection of 19th Century workers' cottages which is home to ten artists' studios, as well as a gallery, community spaces, art framers, bar and a cafe. There are also employment opportunities in Fireclay Business Park to the west of the settlement. This includes builder's supplies, retail and automotive services. Thornton is also a Local Growth Centre serving as a hub for the rural population of the neighbouring South Pennine villages such as Keelham, Denholme and Wilsden. In order to access a wider range of employment opportunities, residents need to commute to the larger centres of Bradford, Keighley and Halifax.

5.26.8 Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES) data indicates that the three largest industry groups by workforce jobs (all people in employment) are: education (17.6%), health (16.9%) and retail (13.7%).

Retail

5.26.9 The main concentration of retail uses is focused at the junction of Thornton Road, Kipping Lane and Lower Kipping Lane. Market Street was originally the main town centre and over time, the centre has shifted and developed along Thornton Road.

5.26.10 All retail centres have been subject to a review as part of the Retail and Leisure Study (2019). It concluded that Thornton has a healthy centre with a good environmental quality. In addition to three convenience stores it identified that Thornton caters for the higher-end comparison goods market such as art shops and art galleries in addition to a furniture store, auction house, florist, pet supply store and a DIY store. It has below average retail offering and an above average number of leisure service units comprised of; seven takeaways, three public houses, two bars, two cafes, two restaurants and a social club. This is possibly due to its connections to the Bronte's and role as a tourist destination. Figure 3, shows the extent of the Thornton Local Centre.

Figure 3: Thornton Local Centre

Transport and Access

5.26.11 Thornton benefits from good access to the wider road network, the B6145 (Thornton Road) runs along this linear settlement. The B6145 connects Bradford with the A629, an inter-Yorkshire road that runs from Skipton, in the north to Rotherham, in the south, passing through Keighley, Halifax, Huddersfield and Chapeltown. A number of minor roads connect Thornton to other settlements to the north, south and east (Wilsden, Queensbury and Denholme) and with Clayton and the wider Bradford urban area to the west.

5.26.12 Thornton is served by frequent (every 12 to 15 minutes) bus services operated by First Bradford towards Bradford (via Four Lane Ends) and a less frequent hourly service is provided by the Keighley Bus Company to Keighley (via Denholme and Cullingworth). Leeds Bradford International Airport is 15 km away.

5.26.13 There are no train services running through Thornton, however, the twenty-arch Grade II listed Thornton Viaduct (a prominent feature in the landscape, crossing Pinch Beck valley) is now a busy walking and cycle route, and forms part of the Great Northern Railway Trail and National Cycle Network route 69 which, though disjointed, provides a link between Cullingworth and Queensbury.

5.26.14 In relation to digital accessibility, average broadband download speed in Thornton is almost 49 megabytes per second which is above the West Yorkshire average of 44.57. There are 3 premises where speeds are below the Universal Service Obligation (USO)^[1].

Planning for Homes

5.26.15 Thornton has 2,763 dwellings which are mostly owner occupied (73%), this is higher than the regional average (63.4%). 11% are socially rented compared to the regional average of 19%.

5.26.16 There are a mix of house types in Thornton with the highest proportion being mainly older terraced properties located around the central historic core settlement (40%). Semi-detached (35%) and detached (16%) properties being the dominant dwelling type in the newer housing estates, mostly to the north and west of the settlement. 40% of the village's houses were built prior to 1900 which is much higher than the regional average (18%). 17% of the stock has been added since the year 2000 which is higher than the regional average of 14%.

5.26.17 The average house price in Thornton is £115,554 (2020), average house prices in Thornton are significantly below regional averages for all house types. This would equate to an income multiplier of 3.24.

Figure 4: Thornton – House Prices

5.26.18 The delivery of new housing is a key part of the development strategy for Thornton. This will ensure that the housing needs of local people can be met, both in terms of market and affordable housing. New housing will also allow for the modest growth of the settlement, to attract new residents and to help sustain the provision of services and facilities.

5.26.19 Policy SP8 in the local plan sets out a minimum requirement of 575 dwellings to be delivered in Thornton during the plan period. These will be delivered through a mix of committed sites (those under construction or have planning permission but have not yet commenced) and allocations. Table 1 below sets out the housing position for Thornton, which also includes the application of non-implementation or discount rates for planning permissions and allocations.

Table 1: Thornton - Summary of Housing Requirement and Supply

5.26.20 Once the commitments are discounted and removed from the supply, this leaves a residual allocation requirement of 536 units. The evaluated total site supply of housing units from the preferred allocation site equates to 618 units which is in turn discounted by 10% for non-implementation or under delivery leaving a final allocation contribution of 556 units.

5.26.21 A portfolio of eleven sites has been identified as the preferred housing options for Thornton to meet the housing requirement. These consist of two Brownfield sites (Dale and Prospect Mill and Old Road), four greenfield sites within the settlement (the majority of which will form the West Thornton Masterplan area) and three Green Belt sites. In delivering the target for new homes in Thornton it has been necessary to make some changes to the adopted green belt. Policy SP5 sets out The Councils approach and justification for green belt releases to accommodate new development and lists the sites proposed for allocation which current lie within or partly within the green belt. The identified sites have the potential to support a wide range of housing types and are set out in Table A. They are also identified on the Policies Map and in the Site Pro-formas below. The development of site allocations should be in accordance with specified development guidelines and approximate site provision figures and all other relevant policies of this Local Plan. The Council will be supportive of additional proposals for new homes on additional small sites, particularly those that provide a redevelopment opportunity to bring forward land which has been previously used. Support will also be provided to developers who wish to redevelop larger sites and/or buildings for new homes not currently identified, subject to all relevant policies in the Local Plan.

Planning for Places and Communities

Green Belt, Natural Landscape and Historic Character

5.26.22 Thornton is surrounded by Green Belt which falls within the Thornton and Queensbury Landscape Character Area and the Yorkshire Southern Pennine Fringe National Character Area. The prevailing landscape of the character is mixed upland pasture, which surrounds the settlement of Thornton. The landscape has been identified as being prominent and open and in declining condition, with moderate strength of character and medium historic continuity.

5.26.23 The settlement is considered as being sensitive to change. However, the factors affecting sensitivity vary widely across the Thornton area, and some parts, for example to the north-west of Thornton, has weak character, and would therefore be assessed as being only moderately sensitive to change. Generally, the prominence of the mixed upland pasture means that any changes which could occur in the landscape would be noticeable and have a large impact on the landscape character.

5.26.24 Thornton Conservation Area is located in the centre of the settlement around its historic core, incorporating Kipping Independent Chapel, Ashfield House, the Bronte's birthplace and numerous other properties. There are a significant number (256) of Listed Buildings within the village, the majority of which are Grade II Listed. There two Grade II* Listed buildings, 74 Market Street (the birthplace of the Bronte Sisters) and Thornton Hall.

Green Infrastructure, Ecology, Open Space and Flood Risk

5.26.25 Green Infrastructure (GI) areas run both north and south of the settlement and form part of the District's Green Infrastructure network and should be protected and enhanced. These areas are multi-functional in nature and help to deliver benefits for biodiversity, reduce flood risk, provide public rights of way, and areas of open space. New developments should identify the opportunities to connect into these networks by enhancing natural features that exist on-site and improving the links between sites.Figure 5 shows Thornton green infrastructure connections to the wider area

Figure 5: Green Infrastructure Corridors

5.26.26 Thornton has a number of biodiversity designations within or adjoining the village area. The route of the Great Northern Trail including the viaduct, includes priority habitats and is part of the wider habitat network. The east of Thornton is largely surrounded by Grassland habitat network. The South Pennine Moors SPA (and SSSI) is located 1.7km form the settlement's western boundary.

5.26.27 There are 23 open space sites of various types within the settlement which cover a total area of 38.9ha.The key open spaces sites in Thornton include Thornton Cemetery, Thornton Recreation Ground, Royd Street Recreation Ground and Play Area, The Great Northern Railway Trail and Headley Golf Course. These are identified in figure 6. Further priority should be for park provision (there is currently no park in Thornton), play areas and allotment provision.

Figure 6: Thornton – Open Space Overview

5.26.28 The main urban area of Thornton is located on a northern hillside which runs downhill to Pinch Beck meaning that most properties are not at risk of fluvial flooding. There are small parts of the settlement where there is potential for surface water flooding to occur due to the topography and permeability of surfaces in that area, such as steep roads including West Lane, James Street and Springhead Lane and the valley floor. However, flooding on the whole is not a major constraint to development in Thornton.

Community Infrastructure – Education, Health and Utilities

5.26.29 Possibly due to its status as a Bronte tourist attraction, Thornton has a higher than average proportion of leisure uses such as hospitality venues and galleries, South Square also hosts events and has a community space for hire. The residents of Thornton also benefit from a library, community centre, children's centre, two churches and allotments. Thornton Recreation Centre is located to the east of the settlement and provides gym and exercise class facilities.

5.26.30 Thornton Primary School is located on Thornton Road, on the site of the former railway station. It has a capacity of 660. Secondary provision (age 11 to 18) is located at Beckfoot Thornton which is on Leaventhorpe Lane slightly to the east of Thornton, within the Green Belt; it has capacity for 1,580 students.

5.26.31 The village is served by one medical facility, Thornton and Denholme Medical Practice, which provides a service to residents of Thornton, Denholme, Keelham and parts of Allerton and Cullingworth. It has around 9,000 patients and has facilities in Thornton and Denholme. There is a pharmacy located within the practice. Secondary (acute) healthcare is provided at Bradford Royal Infirmary and Airedale General Hospital. Figure 7 shows the location of local services.

Figure 7: Thornton – Schools and GP Practices

5.26.32 When planning for the long-term development of Thornton, it is vital that new development is supported by the appropriate infrastructure. The capacity, quality and accessibility of services and facilities are all key components in ensuring people can enjoy living, working and visiting the area. The Council will continue work with key infrastructure providers and others including the Local Education Authority, Clinical Commissioning Group and utilities providers to determine the impacts of future growth and development on local infrastructure capacity and provision. Further infrastructure details will be published through the Local Infrastructure Plan and as part of the Regulation 19 stage of the local plan.

(29) Consultation Question 138

Preferred Site Allocations and Site Pro Formas

5.26.33 The preferred housing site allocations are detailed below. This table is subsequently followed by site pro forma for each site which provides a summary of key site information and characteristics.

Table A: Housing - Preferred Allocation

(17) Consultation Question 139

^[1] Universal Service Obligation (USO) - download speeds at or above 10Mbit/s and upload speeds at or above 1Mbit/s including non-matched records and zero predicted speeds