After extensive discussions, highways officials tell Persimmon to go back to the drawing board

A "more efficient" layout of the Wesley Place car park (pictured above) to replace lost parking spaces in congested Kirkgate (pictured below) was suggested in preliminary talks on the traffic impact of Persimmon's controversial plans to build 140 houses on the fields between Brown Bank Lane and Hawber Cote Lane. However, Britain's biggest house-builder subsequently dropped the proposal, which was designed to offset increased congestion arising from its new housing estate. In addition, Bradford council's highways development controllers have drawn attention to more than 20 examples where the proposed layout of the estate does not meet current standards or requirements. 

After extensive discussions with Persimmon (pre-tax profit £966.8 million last year), the council's engineers comment: "We would not be able to support this proposal as submitted in its current form and revised plans and/or additional information is required." Among disputed issues is Persimmon's calculations of the likely number of extra cars coming through Silsden. Another is a one-way route (preferred by the council) for cars and pedestrians from Hawber Cote Lane into the housing estate. Persimmon has downgraded it to a link just for pedestrians/cyclists.