PLANS to create a new industrial development at the fly tipped site of a former mill have been approved by Bradford Council.

Factory Street, off Tong Street at Dudley Hill, was once the site of five-storey Ackroyds Mill - which was badly damaged during a huge blaze in 2011 and demolished the next year.

Since then the site, on one of the main routes into Bradford, has been notorious for fly tipping and a magnet for anti-social behaviour, leading to calls for Bradford Council to do more to improve the prominent spot.

Last summer a planning application to bring the site back into employment use was revealed.

S&W Properties submitted proposals to build 15 light industrial units on the site - a development that could create around 30 full time jobs.

The application said: “To replace the now derelict land with a modern estate of light industrial units will improve the area dramatically and remove the temptation for fly-tippers to abuse the site as they have for some years now.”

The application has now been approved by planning officers, after being slightly tweaked from what was initially submitted last year.

The site will include parking for 44 cars as well as spaces for 13 service vehicles. At least 10 of these spaces will have electric vehicle charging points.

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The units will be in the form of two buildings, and once constructed will create 1,680 square metres of new industrial space on the former mill site.

The site is next to the Grade II listed former Dudley Hill Picture House - one of the most distinctive buildings in this area of the city, but planning officers say the development won’t harm the neighbouring building.

Planning officers said: “The reuse of the derelict site will offer public benefit and improve amenity, with the setting of the heritage asset being improved from the current negative appearance.”

With the site’s industrial past dating back to the 1830s, bringing industry back to the plot would be suitable and fully encouraged by planning policy - officers said.

Matt Edwards is a Green Party campaigner and has raised the issue of fly tipping on the Factory Street site numerous times. He believes the application could finally help improve the eyesore site.

After the planning application was approved he said: “This is great news for residents living behind this site.

“A few years ago this was one of the worst sites for rubbish and fly tipping I had seen in the area and I am really pleased to see such high quality plans for the area.

“I really want to say well done to the developer and their agent for the way they have engaged with local residents and taken their views on board.

“It is also really encouraging to see that they are putting in so many electric vehicle charging points – nearly a quarter of the parking spaces.”