Bid for extra time on Addingham farm tipping plan (From Ilkley Gazette)

Bid for extra time on Addingham farm tipping plan

8:59am Thursday 3rd January 2013 in News By Amanda Greaves

Planners have asked for more time to consider plans to tip thousands of tonnes of soil and inert waste on farmland in Addingham.

The plans for Farfield Farm, Bolton Road, were submitted to the county council last January but an extension of time for the council to consider the scheme was agreed in September.

The council has now written to applicant Philip Barker again, requesting a further extension until the end of February.

Mr Barker, a tenant of the Duke of Devonshire-owned land, wants to fill in a steep ravine to give farm machinery better access and make the 1.7-hectare plot suitable for grazing.

He believes it will also improve the appearance of the landscape.

North Yorkshire development control officer Katherine Halliday has written to the applicant, saying the county planning authority would be unable to give a planning decision within the statutory period.

She said the period of time requested is an extension until February 28.

“This takes into account the date of the next planning committee (January 29 2013) and will allow sufficient time after that date for preparation of the decision notice,” she said.

But the scheme is also being closely followed by Addingham residents and councillors over the local authority boundary in West Yorkshire, as there are concerns about the potential impact of up to as many as 30 trucks a day using the local road network.

Addingham Parish Council, Addingham Civic Society and Bradford Council have already written to North Yorkshire County Council with their concerns about extra traffic.

A route for trucks accessing the site has been drawn up, directing traffic away from narrow Addingham roads but residents still have concerns about large numbers of truck movements on the busiest days, with the proposed route being along the rural B6160, to the Bolton Abbey roundabout on the A59.

There have also been concerns about the loss of a naturally occuring valley.