Comment

Representation ID: 27476

Received: 24/03/2021

Respondent: Persimmon Homes (West Yorkshire)

Agent: Lichfields

As the proforma for this site within the Draft Local Plan confirms, there is no direct access to site SI4/H, with access proposed to be taken from the adjacent site (SI/020 or SI5/HC: Keighley Road). Whilst the detailed plans approved in respect of site SI5/HC indicates two potential points of access into the site, site access is ransomed by at least one third party, and both access points are required to cross Sykes Lane as an unregistered and un-adopted road. It is therefore important for the plan to acknowledge that delivery of site SI5/HC does not necessarily guarantee the delivery of site SI4/H, and significant concerns regarding the achievement of site access are likely to undermine the site’s deliverability.
Even if the access could be resolved, the site is in multiple ownerships and cannot reasonably be considered to be available and deliverable now. There are also other key site constraints which would need to be overcome in advance of, or mitigation incorporated within the development, including the loss of allotments and potential impacts on Sykes Lane (identified in the emerging Neighbourhood Plan as a key feature/protected lane).
The Sustainability Appraisal identifies potential major adverse effects on climate change (SA Objective 4) on account of parts of the site being within flood zones 2 and 3, and the site’s location within a green infrastructure corridor (SA Objective 6). These scores are worse than those predicted for sites SI/003 and SI/004.
It is therefore not considered that there is sufficient certainty for this to be a preferred allocation, particularly when there are other comparable, and more sustainable, non-allocated sites which can demonstrate immediate deliverability