Protect our green spaces: Silsden, Steeton and Eastburn

Many residents across Silsden, Steeton and Eastburn have kindly contacted me expressing their concern about Bradford Councils housing proposals.

Bradford Council are in the process of undertaking a District wide public consultation on their proposed housing strategy, which once adopted will form the Bradford District Local Plan from 2023 to 2038. Bradford Council are asking residents for their views on these proposals. Their consultation was launched the week commencing the 8th February 2021 and only runs up to the 24th March 2021.

I have expressed my severe disappointment to Bradford Council’s Leadership Executive that the consultation period is so short. I have also expressed by concern that Bradford Council are only running their consultation online and in a digital format, as this clearly disenfranchises a huge proposition of our community from having their say on these proposals. I have therefore called for an extension to the deadline and for all consolation material to be made available in a hard format for those residents who need it.

Despite my calls for an extension, the current deadline for comments on the proposals to be received by Bradford Council is the 24th March 2021, so it is vitally important to speak out now.

Proposal Summary: Up to 580 Houses in Silsden

The possibility of developing up to 580 houses across eight sites in Silsden has been identified by Bradford Council. The majority of these houses are proposed on land categorised as greenfield.

The map below illustrates the locations Bradford Council have identified for new housing development. These areas are identified by the brown shaded areas.

The map below also illustrates which areas of Silsden have the formal classification of Green Belt, Open Space, Sport & Recreation, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Local Nature Reserves, a Local Wildlife Site or is a Special Protection Area and a Special Area of Conservation.

Proposal Summary: up to 188 Houses in Steeton and Eastburn

The possibility of developing up to 188 houses across four sites in Steeton and Eastburn has been identified by Bradford Council. The majority of these houses are proposed on land categorised as greenfield and greenbelt.

The map below illustrates the locations Bradford Council have identified for new housing development. These areas are identified by the brown shaded areas.

It is noted that five of the eight sites; Summerhill Lane amounting to 120 houses and a proportion of the Rear of Holly Fold site amounting to 11 houses are all within current Green Belt designation.

Take action now

Click here to object

By Email:

Objections should be made to: planning.policy@bradford.gov.uk I advise you to reference the sites you are commenting on. You should include your name and address in any objection, as this makes your objection more specific, and is requested as part of the consultation.

Deadline date set by Bradford Council for comments is 24th March 2021

My view

Bradford Council are currently consulting the public on their Housing Strategy for the next 15 years.

For all of us in Silsden, Steeton and Eastburn, this could result in a Housing Strategy being adopted which results in up to 768 houses being developed in our community, 131 of which are on current green belt designation.

It is my strong view that our green belt land should not be considered for development at all as part of Bradford Councils proposals and it is deeply frustrating that they have put forward proposals on this basis.

Building on Green Belt land is in contravention to the Government’s aims and objectives. The fundamental aim of the Government’s Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open. The Government’s policy on protection for the Green Belt is set out in chapter 13 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which clearly states the importance of Green Belt land and emphasises that when protecting the Green Belt, local authorities should maximise the use of suitable brownfield sites before considering changes to Green Belt boundaries.

The NPPF demands that there should be “exceptional circumstances” before Green Belt boundaries can be changed and states that inappropriate development is harmful to the Green Belt and should be approved only in “very special circumstances”.

It is my own personal view that green belt land should be protected from any development.

With this in mind, I do not believe Bradford Council has provided within their consultation documents sufficient justification which provides “exceptional circumstances” for why these green belt sites should be considered or detailed what the “very special circumstances” are for releasing these sites from Green Belt protection.

The NPPF goes on to state that “before concluding that exceptional circumstances exist to justify changes to Green Belt boundaries, the strategic policy-making authority (which is Bradford Council) should be able to demonstrate that it has examined fully all other reasonable options for meeting its identified need for development”.

The NPPF highlights that the Local Authority must identify a housing need requirement for a particular settlement, so that housing growth numbers can be justified. I don’t believe this has been explored sufficiently enough. I have seen no evidence which stipulates that Silsden, Steeton or Eastburn’s housing need for the next 15 year period warrants releasing land for up to 768 houses to be developed. Likewise, I haven’t seen any justification that demonstrates that all other possible options have been considered which warrants our green belt being developed on in Steeton and Eastburn.