Baildon Neighbourhood Plan (2026-2040)

3.0 What Baildon Told Us Comment

3.1This section describes how Baildon Town Council has brought forward issues from the local community to inform the NDP planning process.

Baildon Plan Update Autumn 2019

3.2In the autumn of 2018, 459 Baildon residents completed a questionnaire about the issues which they considered the most important for Baildon. The results were incorporated into Baildon Town Council’s updated "Baildon Plan 2019". The Baildon Plan is not a planning policy document but identifies non-planning actions that if undertaken would complement the planning policies in the Baildon NDP. The Baildon Plan also demonstrates the Town Council’s continued commitment to community engagement and involvement.

3.3The overall results of the survey confirm that the issues which Baildon Town Council and partner agencies have been focusing on in recent years are in line with the issues and concerns of residents that took part in the survey.

3.4The top 4 issues that came out of the survey are:

1. Promoting crime prevention and community cohesion
2. Tackling litter and fly-tipping.
3. Protecting and enhancing public and green spaces.
4. Supporting local businesses and job creation.

Some of these issues are properly dealt with through the Neighbourhood Plan as they relate to spatial planning and the protection of land and facilities. Other issues such litter, fly-tipping and crime prevention are matters that are addressed in the Supporting Actions and activities of Baildon Town Council, Bradford Council and other agencies more generally. Neighbourhood development planning is focused on spatial (land) planning matters, but Baildon Town Council has also included reference to important Supporting Actions arising from the various Policies in the NDP.

Baildon NDP Community Consultation Spring 2022

3.5In every consultation, Baildon residents confirm that they believe Baildon is a special place with a distinct topography. In the Spring 2022 community consultation discussion with residents was undertaken on a Draft Vision Statement. This started by recognising that Baildon is a special place with a distinct and sometimes challenging physical setting.

3.6The Spring 2022 community consultation was supportive of the Draft Vision, and several key issues were raised, and these have been used in the development of draft Policies:

1. The need to protect the area’s key environmental assets e.g. Baildon Moor.
2. The value and need to protect and enhance community hubs and other key community facilities.
3. Concern about the level of bus and train services in the area.
4. The need to make Baildon local centre more of a destination with a wider variety of shops and other attractions.
5. Accessibility within the area, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists.
6. Protection of local green spaces.
7. How many jobs are provided for Baildon residents by the Otley Road Corridor and how can these be accessed?
8. Extend the Station Road Conservation Area.
9. Protection for the area’s non-designated heritage assets.
10. Baildon should have a local Design Code.

3.7The NP development process, discussions with the Working Group, with the full town council and advice and input from a (Locality funded) planning consultant have also raised further related issues which have been developed into six objectives.

Baildon NDP Community Consultation March/April 2025

3.8Baildon Town Council had a good response to a consultation on the draft Baildon Neighbourhood Development Plan via responses to an Online Survey, comments noted from attendance at 3 consultation events and comments via the dedicated email address Two exhibitions (afternoon and evening) were held at different venues in Baildon, a drop in at the Library, online comments were open for 6 weeks and paper questionnaires were available. See Appendix I for a breakdown of comments.

3.9In summary there was strong public support for our Policies – especially on Green Belt, Heritage, Footpaths, protecting non-designated heritage assets, protecting and enhance local community services, sports and recreation and on Baildon Village Centre usage and public realm.

3.10It was noted that many comments focused on protecting sites from inappropriate housing development.

3.11There were many comments about improving Otley Road for cycling, pedestrians and cars.

3.12There were also comments related to improving public transport services (timetables) and preventing inappropriate development in the retail centre of Baildon. Whilst they are very important to the success of the Baildon community they are not ‘land use planning’ matters and so cannot be included as Policies in a NDP but are included, where possible in ‘Town Council Supporting Actions’

3.13Feedback on selected Policy areas within the consultation process is summarised as follows:

Policy on Protecting Green Belt from Development

Do you agree with this Policy (0 don’t agree, and 5 strongly agree)?

Average Rating: 4.5

Residents Commented

• "Where planning has been granted for smaller developments like those on West Lane and Lucy Hall/Lodge Hill I am happy for those to be expedited to relieve the pressure on greenbelt land."
• "Green corridors are important for mental health & wildlife if managed well. Their value could be monetarised."
• "Absolutely we must protect the greenbelt and not let Baildon be overrun with housing. The green belt gives character, space, enjoyment and beauty to the area. It is protected as Green Belt for a reason - to stop urban sprawl."
• "certainly should avoid building in the open countryside. Not sure that the green corridor within Baildon should actually be green belt?"
• "Not all green belt sites are equal: a blanket refusal to build on any might be less convincing than an acknowledgement that some are fit for appropriately scaled housing."

Policy on Footpaths

Do you agree with this Policy (0 don’t agree, and 5 strongly agree)?

Average Rating: 4.6

Residents Commented

• "Handrails for the many steps encountered on ginnels would aid older and disabled pedestrians”.
• "Footpaths are well used at all times of the year."
• "Footpaths are essential. There is a footpath to Titus Salt school, but it could be much better”.
• "I have walked almost all the foot paths in Baildon in the last 40 years. They are one of our glories and need constant maintenance”.

Policy on Protecting and enhancing community facilities and public houses.

Do you agree with this Policy (0 don’t agree, and 5 strongly agree)?

Average rating 4.6

Do you support the list of 32 facilities suggested for protection?

Residents Commented

• "Bradford Council does not appear to be committed to Baildon - loss of the library and Baildon Recreation Centre! There are no publicly owned meeting spaces."
• "Community Garden should be protected. It is well used by local people, visitors & walking groups. People meet to socialise & various functions are held there. It takes part in Baildon at Christmas & the Scarecrow Festival”.

Policy on Protecting and enhancing Sport and Recreation facilities.

Do you agree with this Policy (0 don’t agree, and 5 strongly agree)?

Average Rating: 4.8

Residents Commented

• "What will happen to the Barracks? There is inadequate provision for young people, other than school facilities."
• "We need more local areas of play."