The future of what could potentially be Denholme’s biggest employment site is currently up in the air after Bradford Council threw out ambitious plans to transform it.

The former Whitakers Joinery Works, on Halifax Road, is described as being ripe for redevelopment and an ideal way to bring jobs to the village.

But plans to turn the building into several different businesses, including a cafe, furniture showroom, lawnmower repair shop, car sales, bike repairs, conservatory manufacturer and steel fabricators, have been dismissed as “haphazard” and “unacceptable.”

Bradford Council’s planning officers refused the application, by Bradford-based Denholme Storage, last week.

The applicants wanted to redevelop the industrial site into one that would allow change of use to allow shops, business and storage and distribution.

But the planning officers described this as “wholly unacceptable development in this unsustainable green belt location.”

They said the plans did not provide an adequate assessment of traffic generation or parking and would be an “intensification” of uses that would disturb nearby residents.

Steve Nunn, chairman of Denholme Parish Council’s planning committee, said the site was important to the village’s future, but agreed there were too many problems with the latest plans.

He said: “We try and support any application that brings development to that site. It needs to be brought back into use. The problem was a lack of clarity of what they were trying to put in there.

“Things seemed to be disproportionate to the site, a bit of a haphazard approach to development.

“The impact on the village’s traffic would have been too great. There would have been a lot of traffic coming and going. It is on the outskirts of the village, but still on the main road.

“The problem is, there are very few job opportunities in Denholme, so small units would be welcomed. A cafe there would be ideal, but the concern was the access was not big enough for large wagons.”

Despite their concerns over the latest plans, he said the parish council was eager to keep employment on the site.

“We would welcome any business opportunities that came to the village, because apart from the Co-Op there isn’t much at the moment,” said Coun Nunn. “Anything that brings jobs is welcomed. We will support development that puts the site to good use. All the other old mills are gone, so this is ripe for conversion.”

SR Design, the agents behind the application, declined to comment on Bradford Council’s refusal.