Concerns over allocation of homes in Bierley scheme

Concerns have been raised over how the homes, on Spen View Lane in Bierley have been allocated, with residents claiming that local people are missing out.

However, the council said all applicants nominated for the scheme were “experiencing homelessness and were in the highest priority category for rehousing” and also “had a local connection with the Bradford district”.

The new development on Spen View Lane in Bierley (Image: Newsquest)

The controversial application for 82 homes at the former Lockwood Farm field was approved in October 2021 despite widespread opposition from residents.

To date, 33 of the homes at the Bierley development, run by Sage Homes, have been allocated to residents by the local authority and the remaining 49 homes will be ready later in the year.

Work on the new development on Spen View Lane in Bierley is nearly complete (Image: Newsquest)

One resident said: “A lot of people are losing their houses and people are in need of a home.

“We lost a greenfield site, and this was originally built as a development for local people, but now there’s no opportunity for them to move into it. It’s unfair.”

“It’s quite shameful,” said another Bradford resident. “There are a lot of local people on the housing list.

Work on the new development on Spen View Lane in Bierley is nearly complete (Image: Newsquest)

“It’s taken some of them two years of waiting on the housing list, and it’s not going to be any of them living there.

“It’s disgraceful,” she said. “I’ve worked with families in Bierley and Holme Wood.

“They should be thinking about them.”

Work on the new development on Spen View Lane in Bierley is nearly complete (Image: Newsquest)

Councillor Matt Edwards (Tong, Green) said: “Everyone deserves a safe, warm place to live.

“As a ward councillor I speak to far too many people with problems with housing.

“Some are at risk of being made homeless, some are living in accommodation that is just not suitable. I even speak to families living in one-bedroom flats. It is heartbreaking.

“Green councillors in Bradford have tried to get our council to accept there is a housing crisis – there are not enough good quality homes for the people that need them and the waiting list for what would have been a 'council house' is far too long. In some cases, we are talking two or three years.

“When this development was being proposed, residents in Bierley were told this would help deal with the housing shortage.

“The fact local people are finding it so difficult to even bid on these new houses feels like a kick in the teeth.

“Tong Ward’s Green Party councillors have contacted Sage Housing to try and address this and we are still waiting for a response.”

A spokesperson for Sage Homes told the Telegraph & Argus: "As England's largest provider of affordable new homes, Sage Homes is proud to work in partnership with local authorities to provide homes for people on their waiting lists.

“Bradford Council carefully establishes housing need and is responsible for allocating homes to residents on this basis."

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s executive member for regeneration, planning and transport said: “We’ve long said there is a housing crisis across the country and Bradford is not immune from that.

“We need many more good homes in the right places and no one individual development will solve that.

“We also need better quality housing from what already exists and our Housing Standards team do great work helping secure improvements to over 1,000 homes a year.

“In this development, the properties are not ‘council houses’.

“Our Housing Options team, who help get people into homes from all social housing providers, ensured that all applicants nominated for the scheme in Bierley were experiencing homelessness and were in the highest priority category for rehousing.

“The registered provider confirmed that all successful applicants had a local connection with the Bradford district.

“We will continue to work effectively with registered providers to allocate accommodation to disadvantaged homeless applicants but the sad truth is that demand for quality homes is very high.”