Silsden housing plans to reopen interest in eastern bypass for town

PLANS for 190 new houses in Silsden will focus thoughts on the town’s long-awaited bypass, claims a local politician.

Councillor Andrew Mallinson this week said the proposal by Countryside Properties to build homes on the outskirts of Silsden would not have a massive impact on the town.

But he warned the new estate off Keighley Road, if approved, would be built alongside the protected route for a proposed eastern bypass.

He said Countryside Properties also owned some of the adjacent protected land and suggested the company might in future want to use it for a second phase of house building.

Cllr Mallinson said it is essential Bradford Council decided whether a bypass was feasible, along with other essential infrastructure improvements to meet potential pressures from up to 1,200 houses earmarked for Silsden during the next 25 years.

Cllr Mallinson, who represents Craven ward on Bradford Council, said: “The proposed line for the bypass is just outside the boundary line of this housing development.

“This heightens the reason why Silsden needs a masterplan from Bradford Council as a matter of urgency.”

Cllr Mallinson spoke this week after Countryside Properties submitted outline plans to Bradford Council for up to 190 homes on land it owns to the south of Belton Road in Silsden.

The outline application mostly concerns access to the site, stating that an entrance road would run from Belton Road, which currently serves several industrial units on the southern outskirts of the town.

Belton Road is itself reached from busy Keighley Road, on the Steeton side of Silsden and almost opposite the town’s sports clubs.

Countryside Properties this week said its plans had been devised to take into account the views of residents and councillors during a public exhibition and meetings last summer.

It said 20 per cent of the planned homes would be affordable housing, suitable for key workers such as nurses and teachers, young families and first-time buyers.

There will also be landscaped public open spaces and a £350,000 contribution towards local schools.

A spokesman said: “We found residents sympathetic to the need for new homes, but also clear the right infrastructure must also be put in place.

“Silsden residents were also clear about the need to protect the rural aspect of the town, and we are pleased to confirm we are not seeking to build in the greenbelt.”