PLANS to build housing on the site of a former nursery have once again been refused.

Bradford Council this week refused a second attempt to develop the former Hirst Wood Nurseries site as three houses and a "managed woodland trail."

Officers gave four different reasons for refusing the plans, including that the proposals were unsuitable for a Green Belt site.

The former Saltaire Garden Centre and Nursery, next to the Leeds Liverpool Canal and on the outskirts of the World Heritage Site, has been empty for a number of years, and is now an overgrown eyesore on the otherwise picturesque canalside walk.

Last year an application to develop the site by building three homes and a woodland trail were submitted by Hartley Quality Residential Developments, but were thrown out by Bradford Council.

The company returned with a new application earlier this year, claiming the reasons the last one had been refused had now been addressed.

Green Belt housing plans are refused

They argued that the site, which lies within the Green Belt, would not likely be used as a garden centre again, and claimed the woodland trail would become a "prized community asset."

But the application has again been refused by planning officers.

"The proposed development site lies within an area designated as Green Belt where there is a strong presumption against inappropriate development. The development of previously developed land can be considered one of the exceptions, but this exception specifically excludes buildings of insubstantial or temporary construction such as the majority of buildings remaining on this site.

Furthermore, the proposed development of three substantial houses would have a materially great impact on the Green Belt than the current temporary and low level structures at the site but very special circumstances that would outweigh this harm have not been conclusively demonstrated."

Officers also claimed the houses would be "intrusive and incongruous" with the surroundings, that would lead to an increase of traffic on access road Hirst Mill Crescent and "increase the likelihood of conflict with existing users of the canal towpath."

And officers claimed there were not enough details of how the proposed woodland trail would be managed.

After the refusal, local Green Councillors have called for Bradford Council to step in to help improve the eyesore site.

Councillor Kevin Warnes (Green, Shipley), urged the Council to use it's 'blight site' fund to sort the land. Earlier this week the Council agreed to allocate money from the fund to buy and restore the crumbling Old Manor House in Manningham.

He added: "This is a prominent site tucked away between the river Aire and the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. It is simply not suited to the kind of housing over-development that Hartley have repeatedly pushed for. ”

HE said the party will take the matter up with the Council's Executive members and planning officers in order to find a solution that benefits the local community.