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

Support

Representation ID: 30053

Received: 18/03/2021

Respondent: Berkeley De Veer Homes Ltd

Agent: Bradley Stankler Planning

•Submission confirms the site promoters/landowners fully support the identification of the site as a housing allocation.
•The site is in a sustainable location immediately adjoining the built-up area of Queensbury with access to public transport and the full range of employment, education, leisure, shopping and supporting services within walking distance.
•QB5/H is very well located for sustainable travel, in accordance with Policy SP1.
•QB5/H is well placed to make an important contribution to meeting the housing requirement for Queensbury, in the short-term. The site is very well related to the builtup area, abutting the settlement on the site’s northern boundary, thereby meeting the key locational requirement of Policy SP2.
•In view of the lack of suitable and available brownfield sites within the built-up area of Queensbury and the tightly drawn Green Belt boundary around this built up area, the Local Plan must identify appropriate Green Belt sites to meet the identified housing land requirement. QB5/H is an under-used, partially brownfield, parcel of land which is not of high environmental value.
•The identification of the site for removal from Green Belt to help meet the District’s housing requirement is supported.
•It is clear that QB5/H represents a Local Plan vision and spatial objective policy compliant opportunity for the allocation of land acknowledged to be within a sustainable location, in accordance with key Local Plan planning policy objectives and national planning policy guidance.
•The allocation of the site for housing, meets the key requirements of Policy SP1, SP2 and SP3 which sets out the council's strategy for the location of new development.
• The site is located adjoining the built-up area of Queensbury, which is an identified Local Growth Centre and with which it is bounded to the north;
• The site is well related to the existing built area with well-defined and easily recognised physical boundaries;
• The site contains existing buildings and hardstanding and is partially brownfield land;
• The site performs little material Green Belt function;
• The allocation of the site is an opportunity to enhance the visual/landscape quality of this part of the urban edge of Queensbury;
• The site is demonstrably sustainably located and given the need to release additional Green Belt sites to meet the identified housing land requirement, its allocation for housing development in the Plan period, should be a priority;
• There are no technical infrastructure reasons preventing the site making an early contribution to meeting housing land requirements.
•Detailed work has been undertaken to establish a new Green Belt, which follows made roads and a track/driveway and existing development, is fully supported. This will lead to a more robust long-term and defensible boundary between the urban area and wider Green Belt, while providing for much needed additional housing land and the opportunity to enhance this southern approach into Queensbury.
•The site makes no material contribution to the character of the area and on this basis, there is no overriding reason to protect the site and from development for its own sake. The development of the site will afford the opportunity to enhance this part of the village including significant landscaping and tree and hedgerow planting.
• The site is well located in terms of the local and strategic highway networks and in a sustainable location for access by non- car modes in line with national planning policy guidance.
• Access to the parcel of land is proposed via a single priority T-junction off the A644 Brighouse Road. Footways will be provided at 2.0m width either side of the access road tying into the existing pedestrian infrastructure along the A644 Brighouse Road.
• The site access junction would accord with the relevant highways design standards, with appropriate visibility splays, a suitable road width, footways.
• Based on a review of the local and strategic highway networks coupled with the estimated trip generation of the site, it is not anticipated that the proposed allocation of this site would result in any detrimental impact on the highway network, nor upon highway safety.
•The Masterplan site layout demonstrates key features of the site:
• Approximately 34 new dwellings at a density of some 35/ha nett including affordable housing provision.
• Substantial areas of Public Open Space totalling 0.26 ha some 27% of the nett residential development area.
• Creation of a new vehicular access to the A644 Brighouse Road meeting full design standards and visibility requirements.
• New areas of tree planting to form a shelterbelt along the full length of the southern site boundary, and
• New hedge and tree planting along the frontage to Brighouse Road.
•The site is; available now; and in a suitable location for housing development; and offers a realistic prospect to deliver housing within five years.