Concern over flooding risk at Barratt Homes site off Belton Road, Silsden

Plans to build even more homes on a green field next to “one of the largest floodplains in the district” have been approved, despite vocal opposition.

The number of homes to be built off Belton Road, Silsden, has increased by 33 after Bradford Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee approved finalised plans.

Developer Countryside Properties UK was last year given outline consent to build 190 homes on the site, but Barratt Homes has since taken on the development, lodging final plans for 223 homes.

Ward councilor Adrian Naylor (Ind, Craven) yesterday tried to persuade the committee to defer the plans to get more details about the risk of flooding, saying Yorkshire Water had raised concerns about the project.

He said: “This site is adjacent to one of the largest flood plains in the district.”

Silsden Town Council member Michael O’Dwyer also gave a strongly-worded speech, saying Belton Road – the site’s only access – had flooded in 2002, 2008 and 2015.

But officers told the committee that the issue of flooding had been looked into in depth at the outline planning stage.

However, this report (from the Marsel House planning application

Committee chairman Councillor David Warburton (Lab, Wyke) asked whether the drainage assessments had been made on the basis of 190 or 223 homes.

Planning officer Michael Eaglestone said while more homes were now planned, they were smaller, so the drainage the site required remained about the same.

Paul Butler, the agent for Barratt Homes, said the houses would be of the “highest quality design”.

He said: “The development has been carefully designed to respect flood risk and drainage matters.”

He said if they were granted planning permission, they would want to start building the development as soon as possible.

The site has recently hosted an archaeological dig which had resulted in some significant finds.

Archaeologists excavated a burial chamber dating from the Neolithic to early Bronze Age, some 4,500 to 5,000 years ago.

It is believed to have been for the burial of an important individual in a prominent location. Other items, including an ancient urn, were also unearthed.