In the third of a series of 27 articles analysing the key study into the availability of land in Bradford, DOLORES COWBURN looks in depth at the possibilities for housing sites in Bradford City Centre.
Bradford City Centre needs up to 3,500 new homes within a 17-year period according to the draft LDF document.
A total of 15 hectares with a predicted site capacity of 2,389 homes has now been identified by Bradford Council, meaning a possible shortfall of 1,111 homes.
An estimated 172 could be built within the next six years, 1,755 within the medium term of seven to 12 years and 462 within 13 to 17 years.
There were 50 city centre sites originally identified in the SHLAA from near Bradford College through to Little Germany.
But only 34 of these sites are considered to be deliverable or able to be developed within the 17-year study period. Probably one of the most controversial sites is the former Odeon cinema which has had mixed use development approved to include 36 residential units.
No progress has been made on the site as yet and there are strong demands locally that the buildings be retained for community uses without demolition.
The housing assessment does acknowledge that the economic climate and the decline of demand in the apartment market in the city centre is not expected to improve for at least 12 years.
It states: "This situation however is wildly unpredictable and could alter.
"The city centre has a substantial stock of existing buildings with apartment development potential.
There are also a number of site opportunities which have had permission for development but which have not been delivered as a result of a weak market.
"There are now only 34 sites covering an area of 15.63 hectares which are believed to be deliverable or able to be developed.
'A number of other sites still remain suitable for development but do not appear in the timeframe because the future progression of these opportunities is currently uncertain and unpredictable."
Fourteen of the proposed 34 sites are within flood zones and all 34 are on previously developed land.
Sites identified include an unsurfaced car park on Westgate/Grattan Road where planning permission had been granted in 2008 for 25 apartments above two retail units.
One of the biggest sites is vacant land and buildings which was on the proposed site for the Channel Urban village development at the Canal Basin/Channel. The Channel Company has folded but the land still has significant potential for residential development as part of a mixed scheme, according to Bradford Council. A large part of the site is in a flood zone.
A large site on Goitside Urban Village, off Grattan Road, has also been identified.
It comprises a permanent car park, a boarded-up pub and various one and two-storey buildings. One building has an existing permission for 24 apartments. The former Yorkshire Water depot, the former central police station and a disused Grade II-listed building on Old Canal Road are also pinpointed.
Councillor Nazam Azam (Lab, City) said that some of his constituents were worried about a proposed devel-opment near Ingleby Road.
"I am very concerned that that site has been earmarked and so are residents," he said. "I have concerns about its close proximity to an Islamic Centre and there are several houses which are close by."
Councillor David Green, executive member for regen-eration, said that the balance between retail businesses, leisure and accommodation was something the Council would be looking at in the overall plan.
The Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) is a technical document which will provide a pool of sites from which to select land to be allocated for housing when preparing the Local Development Framework.
The Framework is a blueprint that will manage development and growth across the district over the next 15 years.
Consultation on its core strategy document, which sets out a long-term spatial vision for the district until 2028, is continuing. It sets out broad locations for development and policies that will influence the use of land and the type and scale of development permitted, as well as identifying key infrastructure requirements.
The overall Local Development Framework is not expected to come into effect until 2013 with consultation over specific land allocations next year.
Sites included in the existing SHLAA might not make it into the land allocations documents and final framework as no decisions have yet been taken on any of the sites. Further potential sites could be identified as the assessment is updated every year.
Planning policies will continue to emphasise that brownfield sites are the priority over greenfield land, according to the Council.
THE LONG-TERM LAND STRATEGY
The Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) is a technical document which will provide a pool of sites from which to select land to be allocated for housing when preparing the Local Development Framework.
The Framework is a blueprint that will manage development and growth across the district over the next 15 years.
Consultation on it's core strategy document, which sets out a long-term spatial vision for the district until 2028, is continuing. It sets out broad locations for development and policies that will influence the use of land and the type and scale of development permitted, as well as identifying key infrastructure requirements.
The overall Local Development Framework is expected to come into effect in 2013 with consultation over specific land allocations taking place during 2012.
Sites included in the current SHLAA may not make it into the land allocations documents and final framework. In addition further potential sites could be identified as the assessment is updated every year.
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