Refurbishment of Greengates filling station to include Otter holt and bat boxes

The unusual conditions have been added to approval for plans to improve the BP filling station on New Line, Greengates, due to a new push by Bradford Council to boost bio-diversity.

The application, by Y Valli, was submitted last year, and called for the demolition of the existing petrol station, including its canopy, car wash and below ground tanks. In its place a new petrol filling station, including a larger shop building, new canopy, below ground storage tanks and larger parking area, would be built.

The new shop will be larger than the existing, small scale shop on the site.

And there are currently no car parking spaces on the site - the new plans propose 10 parking spaces and one disabled parking bay, including one electric car charging port.

All new developments in Bradford could soon require a boost to local nature

The changes would boost employee numbers from four full time staff to six, and from two part time staff to four.

A similar application to re-develop the site, next to a beck, was refused last year - Council officers felt the plans did not include enough detail, including how the development would impact on trees on the site.

Last year the Government announced that all planning applications should include a 10 per cent “net gain” in bio-diversity, meaning a development should include more diverse flora and/or fauna than it did before that site was developed.

Although the policy has yet to become legislation, Bradford Council has started introducing it in some applications.

In response to this application, the Council has said: “The site forms part of a larger habitat network and includes Fagley Beck.

“Following the appraisal of the surveys that have been submitted in support of the application it has been accepted by the Council’s bio-diversity officer that the development can be supported subject to a number of conditions. The conditions seek to ensure the impact of the development is limited and offset..”

These conditions include the installation of of an otter holt in the beck, to encourage colonies of the water based mammal, two bird and two bat boxes.

The condition also requires trees to be planted on site to replace ones that will be felled to make way for the development, and a “Himalayan Balsam Management Plan.”

Approving the scheme, planning officers said: “The proposal raises no amenity or, highway safety concerns. The increase in the size of retail unit will not harm the vitaility and viability of allocated centres within the district, and the impact on habitat networks and bio-diversity has been addressed to the satisfaction of the council’s bio-diversity officer.”