Comment

Representation ID: 6404

Received: 11/03/2021

Respondent: Howard Jackson

This land currently functions well as green belt, providing the only link along West Lane to the moorland and preventing urban sprawl. I am fully aware of the council’s need to provide for future growth but I believe there are many areas within the region that would be more suitable. Within the local area there are areas of derelict land and old disused buildings which could be developed for housing instead of removing yet more green belt. Development of these sites would greatly enhance the area while work on the proposed sites would actually have a negative impact on the region.

During the recent pandemic the number of visitors to this beauty spot from surrounding neighbourhoods, such as Bradford, has shown just how essential the green belt is to the local community, and what a valuable resource it is in its current format. The pandemic has also resulted in some businesses closing or moving online which has resulted in other buildings becoming available for potential conversion into housing stock.

Should the sites on West Lane be included in the published plan there would need to be caveats to ensure that any developments are beneficial rather than detrimental to the area. I believe these should include provision of or a contribution towards additional public transport. There are very limited bus services at present along West Lane and the road itself has too much traffic in rush hours, and the current number of properties has had the consequence that the road is frequently the site of road works. Indeed the road has many pot holes already because of the heavy traffic on this arterial route. Caveats should also be included to ensure access to the green belt on Baildon Moor, for both wildlife and people. This should include green areas within any developments. An additional issue with any development needs to consider the water run off from the sites. Since other recent developments have been built on land along West Lane the remaining land now proposed for development has become the main area for water to run off the moor. Streams have appeared in heavy rains that I have never seen in the 36 years that I have lived in Baildon. These have added to the damage on West Lane itself and have seen water overflowing the current drains. Most recently this happened in the rains in January 2021.

To summarise I feel the current proposal would be a tragic loss to future generations which once lost can never be replaced, and there are more suitable alternatives for inclusion in the local plan which would actually enhance the region.