AFTER several years and numerous attempts, a developer has been granted permission to build houses on a canal side garden centre site.

Previous applications by the Hartley Property Group to develop the former Hirst Wood Nursery site, on the outskirts of Saltaire, have been refused by Bradford Council and a Government planning inspector.

But at a planning meeting on Wednesday the application was approved, with Councillors arguing the development was probably the best use for the sensitive site.

The nursery and garden centre shut over 14 years ago, and since then the site has remained empty and become increasingly overgrown.

The latest application was to build three homes on the green belt site, and went before members of Bradford Council’s Keighley and Shipley Planning Panel on Wednesday.

There had been objections to the plans from the Council’s Highways team – raising concerns over extra traffic over the only access point to the site, the Hirst Wood swing bridge. Conservation officers had also objected due to the site's location - in a Conservation Area and near the Saltaire World Heritage Site.

Shipley Town Council and 31 people had objected to the plans.

But despite this, planning officers recommended the development be approved.

At the meeting planning officer Mark Hutchinson said the Council had worked with the developers to reduce the impact of the scheme, and the three terraced homes would now take up roughly the same space as the garden centre buildings. 

He said: “This is previously developed green belt land. Planning policy says if there is already a building in the Green belt, you can replace that building.”

He said the swing bridge already serves as access to 18 homes, and the three new homes would generate 11 extra car journeys a day.

And he pointed out that the site still had permission for a garden centre – it could re-open at any time. Three homes would create less traffic than a garden centre would bring.

Panel Member Kevin Warnes (Green, Shipley) said planners had clearly worked with the developer to try and reduce the scale on the scheme, but added: “If there was no objection from residents or our own officers I would struggle to find a reason to refuse this. But there are.

“This site is really critical. It is in a Conservation Area, in the Green Belt and near a World Heritage Site.”

Councillor Chris Herd (Cons, Worth Valley), said: “I’m just thinking of what the alternative for this site could be? At the moment it looks a shambles – it wants something doing with it.”

Chair of the Panel Councillor Sinead Engel (Lab, Clayton and Fairweather Green), said: “It can’t be left as it is. A residential use will probably cause less disruption than any other use for this site I can think of.”

Three members of the committee voted to approve the plans, and two voted to refuse them – meaning the application was approved.