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

Support

Representation ID: 4868

Received: 24/03/2021

Respondent: Banks Property

Banks Property supports Policy SP2 which seeks to achieve sustainable development in line with the National Planning Policy Framework. Like the NPPF, this theme should be central to the entire Local Plan and spatial priorities within it. Policy SP2 states that Principal Towns and Local Growth Centres (including Burley in Wharfedale) will be supported, protected and enhanced as hubs for the local economy, housing and community. We support the creation of well designed, high quality development and sustainable places where people want to live and work. The allocation of employment land alongside housing to reduce the need to travel and ensure the vitality and viability of settlements is an important element of sustainable development. The draft Plan currently has an absence of employment land allocations in Wharfedale; this should be addressed to ensure sustainable growth is achieved.

Object

Representation ID: 4873

Received: 24/03/2021

Respondent: Banks Property

The background text to Policy SP5 confirms that the Council considers exceptional circumstances exist which justify and require a change to the general extent of the Green Belt. There is a significant shortfall in Non-Green Belt employment land availability against need, and no potential land supply of Non-Green Belt large or strategic sites has been identified. Site BU/015 Land off Burley Bypass provides a suitable option for release of Green Belt land for employment in Wharfedale, an area which is constrained by Green Belt and where there are currently no employment allocations. The site is well contained lying between the A65 and River Wharfe, and development would not impact the function of the surrounding Green Belt through unrestricted sprawl, encroachment into open countryside or coalescence. Banks Property has submitted further information on Site BU/015 in response to the Council’s Site Assessment Update Report (Feb 2021).

Support

Representation ID: 4874

Received: 24/03/2021

Respondent: Banks Property

Banks Property broadly supports the objectives of Policy SP6. It is vital that investment is supported and encouraged to enable economic recovery; policies should aim to maximise Bradford’s potential for growth and to attract and retain economically active people. Policy SP6 defines priority business sectors and clusters that will be supported through the provision of appropriately located sites and premises by area, and identifies Health, Digital and Professional Services as priority sectors for Wharfedale. No employment allocations are included in Wharfedale however to achieve this. The Local Plan must ensure that employment land allocations are distributed across all areas of the District alongside housing allocations to achieve sustainable development. Site BU/015 Land off Burley Bypass provides a suitable option for new employment land in Wharfedale, located directly on the A65. Banks Property has submitted further information on Site BU/015 in response to the Council’s Site Assessment Update Report (Feb 2021).

Object

Representation ID: 4878

Received: 24/03/2021

Respondent: Banks Property

Housing Need and Requirement

Banks Property objects to the Council’s approach to housing growth. In determining its housing requirement, the Council has not applied a 35% uplift in accordance with the Government’s latest Standard Method (Dec 2020). Whilst transitional arrangements apply for Local Plans in preparation, we consider that more housing allocations should be identified to reflect a move towards this uplift. The 35% uplift applies to the whole authority area. The Council therefore has options to allocate more housing by releasing more land on the periphery of the city and wider areas in a more dispersed approach to development. There are also notable inconsistencies in the current approach to spatial distribution and settlement hierarchy, for example the allocation of only 300 units in the Principal Town of Ilkley. More allocations should be distributed across the mid and lower tiers of the settlement hierarchy to achieve sustainable development and growth across the district.

Object

Representation ID: 30038

Received: 24/03/2021

Respondent: Banks Property

Housing Distribution

In determining its housing requirement, the Council has not applied a 35% uplift in accordance with the Government’s latest Standard Method (Dec 2020).

We consider that more housing allocations should be identified to reflect a move towards this uplift. The 35% uplift applies to the whole authority area. The Council therefore has options to allocate more housing by releasing more land on the periphery of the city and wider areas in a more dispersed approach to development.

There are also notable inconsistencies in the current approach to spatial distribution and settlement hierarchy, for example the allocation of only 300 units in the Principal Town of Ilkley. More allocations should be distributed across the mid and lower tiers of the settlement hierarchy to achieve sustainable development and growth across the district.

Object

Representation ID: 30039

Received: 24/03/2021

Respondent: Banks Property

Banks Property objects to the conclusions of the assessment on Site BU/015 Land off Burley Bypass, Burley in Wharfedale, which has been rejected for employment allocation. Spatial policies in the Local Plan as currently drafted do not propose any increase in employment provision in Wharfedale. Site BU/015 Land off Burley Bypass is ideally situated to provide new employment land in Wharfedale, located directly on the A65 key transport corridor. Banks Property considers that the site is suitable to accommodate new, high quality employment development, and the reasons for non-allocation are capable of being mitigated through design.