Mass objections to plans for up to 1,000 homes on farmland

Pictured above are five of the Silsden residents who are spearheading a campaign to stop houses being built on farmland near Swartha.They are (left to right) Sue Grimley, Jim Grimley, Caroline Whitaker, Janet Russell and Cathy Liddle.The proposals, detailed in my blog of July 17th, have attracted nearly 300 objections, ranging from the impact on already stretched local services to destruction of a loved landscape and habitat concerns. The dry-stone wall in the photograph is on the route of a proposed 'enabling road'. Bradford council is currently reviewing its housing-land allocations. Potentially the targets across the metropolitan district could be reduced by up to a third.

The proposed 'enabling road' will run from Bolton Road on the stretch towards the reservoir, cross Brown Bank Lane below Raikes House Farm and go through fields to Hawber Cote Lane, where Silsden's new primary school is to be built. The photograph above shows ancient Brown Bank Lane around 1906. Up until the early 1800s it had been the main road to Ilkley. 

The same stretch of Brown Bank Lane today showing the stables next to Raikes House Farm in the vicinity where the proposed new road will cut across.

The proposed new road will end here, in Hawber Cote Lane. The farm gate at the end of the pavement on the right is at the entrance to the field where the new school will be built.

Meanwhile, Skipton Properties has acquired fields on the west side of Bolton Road but the house-builder is tight-lipped about how much land it has bought and what its plans are. Sales, marketing and design director Caroline Verity says it is too early to answer my questions. "We aren't in a position to share a plan as a full plan hasn't been formulated yet," she said.

I was trying to find out if Skipton Properties had purchased the same Bolton Road land for which outline planning permission has already been granted for up to 62 homes. Approval was given by a government-appointed inspector in December 2015 after Geoffrey Mountain appealed against Bradford council's decision to refuse permission. The 2.5-hectare appeal site comprised two fields bounded by Nab View, Townhead Farm, the Rotary Works premises of Airedale Factors and Bolton Road as shown in my two photographs. 

On the other side of town, Barratt Homes are proceeding with their Saxon Dene development of more than 200 houses in Belton Road. This view looks up towards Spring Crag and Alder Carr woods. The 6.7-hectare Belton Road housing site made headlines last year when archaeologists, called in by Barratts, uncovered a burial chamber from 5,000-4,500 years ago. The dig will be the subject of a talk by the West Yorkshire Archaeological Service to the Silsden Local History Group on October 22nd (Silsden Methodist Church, 7pm).

A view from Spring Crag and Alder Carr woods of Barratts' Saxon Dene building site in Belton Road.