I WISH to stress that I am extremely concerned about the excessive development that Silsden is being subjected to.

Silsden is being bombarded with development and planning applications from all sides of the compass.

It is of my opinion that the heritage of Silsden and its beautiful landscape is being devoured by over-development.

For some of the developments already built we have seen not just how horrible they can look, but how they fail to create a community atmosphere and connect to the wider environmental and ecological aspects of the land they consume and reside near to. These pitiful estates lack any community feel, offering no shops or health services, integrated footpaths and cycleways or greenways or community facilities such as play, sport or community orchards or allotments. All are reliant on the existing overstretched services.

The Local Development Plan for Silsden gave specific housing delivery and strategic sites, yet it also gave settlement boundary to its limit.

The issue is that the settlement limit does not prevent planning applications from being submitted for any type of development; so what was the purpose of the housing delivery sites if these sites are not – or cannot be – adhered to? It seems that land with a higher landscape value can be developed well before lower grade/value land is. Fields, hedgerows and footpaths that the community so love and feel are historically important can and will likely be lost to housing as a result of the roughshod nature of this unjustifiable planning process.

When I read Cllr Rebecca Whitaker's concerns about housing on land off Belton Road, between the Barratt estate and Keighley Road, I laughed.

Of all the land in Silsden to contest, this is probably one of the most acceptable sites to actually build on, that is if the drainage/flood measures can be alleviated – which I feel they can. As much as it is important to differentiate landscape value to the community, it is also important to recognise which land is more appropriate for housing development than others.

Getting the right balance of development for a successful community is important and yes, we shouldn’t just take all that is thrown at us. I would prefer the Belton Road site to take housing rather than a site with a higher landscape value. The question is will or can Bradford Council legally stop taking planning applications when our quota is filled? Probably not, due to National Planning Policy constraints, but that is where we need control and where we should be aiming our frustrations. I’m also concerned that unmarked sites within the settlement boundary for Silsden should not go to just housing and there should be a strong mix of beneficial development that the community requires; a community nature area, orchard or woodland could just as easily be accommodated with the framework of development. The storm of protests against this Countryside Properties proposed development is in my view misguided.

Paul Redshaw, Silsden

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