GRAVE concerns have been expressed by councillors over plans to build 500 new homes on green belt land in Burley-in-Wharfedale.

Just weeks after the Government's planning inspector confirmed the village would need to deliver 700 new homes by 2030, property developer CEG has submitted an outline planning application for a development on land to the west of Burley. The proposal includes a new primary school, allotments, footpaths and cycleways, green spaces and a biodiversity/nature area.

There would also be a £1.2million investment into secondary school education, improvements to sports and leisure facilities, bus services and potential railway service improvements. The developer says 30 per cent of the homes will be affordable for local people, providing a mix of rented, mixed-tenure and starter homes at a discounted rate, helping young, local people access the housing ladder.

Steve McBurney, head of planning at CEG, said: “A Government Inspector recently confirmed that Burley will need to deliver 700 of the 42,100 new homes required in Bradford District over the next 15 years. The land to the west of Burley is the only logical location to accommodate the majority of that growth because, unlike other locations, it can provide a new durable and long lasting boundary to prevent future sprawl into the countryside. This site does not play a significant role in preventing Burley merging with another settlement as it would retain an almost 2km gap between Ben Rhydding.

“By delivering around 500 of these homes on one site, this scheme can provide extensive new and improved infrastructure including education and transport provision, something which lots of smaller developments would be unable to achieve.

“We have also taken a very sensitive approach, with high quality design which respects the very special character and setting of the village, with lots of green and open spaces and homes that will help the next generation to stay in the area, new families to grow and the elderly to downsize.”

However, the plans have met with opposition. Philip Davies MP, whose constituency includes Burley said: "I am wholly opposed to this proposed development and will do all I can to support local residents in campaigning against it.

"We should not be building on the Greenbelt - the whole point of Greenbelt is that it shouldn't be developed - we need to be protecting the local environment.

"The rising population in the Bradford district is in the centre of Bradford and all brownfield sites in other parts of the Bradford district should be developed before any development is ever even considered on the Greenbelt.

"We also have congested roads, especially on the A65, already and this will make it worse, and there is already a chronic shortage of school places in Wharfedale.

"All in all this is a wholly inappropriate development and should be dismissed out of hand."

Wharfedale's Conservative ward councillors Jackie Whiteley and Dale Smith, said: "We have yet see and then study the detailed application but we recognise that it will have a huge impact upon Burley.

"We do not favour building upon the greenbelt and have grave concerns about the extra strain it could put on the infrastructure of road and rail as well as the local facilities of schools, parks and social meeting places - all of which make Burley so special.

"We will listen most carefully to the comments and opinions of both the Parish Council and residents and, if the development were to go ahead, we would campaign to extract the maximum benefits for Burley and minimise its impact on the village."

The planning application will be available to view on Bradford Council’s website once it is registered. Further information is available on the website sustainableburley.co.uk