AN office building can be converted into flats, despite concerns that future residents will be at risk of stray cricket balls.

In August proposals to convert both Aire Valley House and neighbouring building The Hive, on Croft Road, Crossflatts from office space to residential use were revealed.

The changes would see the empty office buildings turned into 139 flats.

Due to recent Government changes to the planning system, planning permission is not needed for such conversions from office space to residential. Applicants ARC BBWYKUK001 instead contacted Bradford Council to see if "prior approval" was needed.

Such applications can only be refused if the changes would create environmental health, flooding or highways problems.

The applicants have been informed that the development can now go ahead.

There had been numerous objections to the plans, including from Sports England, neighbouring Crossflatts Cricket Club, and several of the club's members.

They said balls hit by batters at the club regularly find their way into the car park of the offices, and if it were to become home to hundreds of residents, these stray balls could prove a serious danger.

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Many of the objectors say a barrier between the club and the site needs to be installed by the developer.

One objector said balls regularly find their way into the office car park, and having the site converted into residential would put residents at "serious risk of being hit by the ball, which trust me hurts, and the likelihood of this happening will only ever increase with the growing amount of games taking place down there, and especially if Jim O'Hara is bowling."

Another said: "Imagine children playing out and getting hit with the ball, this could lead to a very nasty injury or even result in death?"

Planning officers said they could not condition a "ball strike assessment" to look at solutions to this issue, as it was not a planning application.

However, there is a separate application for the site - a planning application for external works to the building to allow the conversion to go ahead.

Officers said: "The developer has been asked to consider provision of protective netting as part of the planning application to effect the change of use to flats."

The flats will be a mix, ranging from studio apartments to three bed flats, and there would also be a gym on each floor.

The site has 479 parking spaces as well as 142 internal cycle parking spaces and 142 “short stay” cycle parking spaces.