Plans submitted for 59 new build homes in Bierley area

Newett Homes is looking to build on the second field of the former Lockwood Farm, just off Spen View Lane.

Part of the Newett Homes’ planning application includes constructing a new, through road from Boy Lane through to Shetcliffe Lane.

Members of the public can share their views on the latest proposals for the second field of Lockwood Farm via Bradford Council’s planning portal, under the reference. 24/03864/MAF.

It not only marks another attempt to build on the former farmland, but comes on the back of proposals to build 1000 homes on nearby Westgate Hill.

Land that formerly belonged to Lockwood Farm has caught the eye of developers for a number of years.

Back in 2022, Newett Housing withdrew plans to build 63 houses on green land at Spen View Lane/Lockwood Farm.

Several different Council officers had raised concerns about the plans at the time.

There has been strong local opposition to block attempts at building new developments in the area over the years.

But in October 2021, a controversial application to build 82 homes in part of the former Lockwood Farm field was approved.

Most of the development, run by Sage Homes, has already been allocated by the local authority.

The new development on Spen View Lane in Bierley - pictured in May 2024 (Image: Newsquest) It comes after another developer expressed its interest in building up to 1,000 new homes at nearby Westgate Hill in Tong.

Councillor Celia Hickson (Tong, Green Party) said: “In the [draft] Local Plan, Labour allocated large areas of green space in Bierley for housing and that’s why we are seeing all these applications now. Nearly 300 houses in Bierley alone have been approved in four years despite opposition.

“The roads, particularly Spen View Lane, Boy Lane and Shetcliffe Lane are all just too narrow for any more traffic and there has been no investment to improve the main junctions with Tong Street or Rooley Lane.

"It should be obvious that you can’t just keep building more and more houses without investing in roads, public transport or local services like doctors and dentists and schools.”

The councillor added: “The influx of new housing developments in Bierley highlight just what is wrong with our planning system. The planning rules give the big house builders an advantage. It allows them to build houses on greenfield sites and ignore all the empty brownfield sites we have in our district – damaging the local environment and putting pressure on local services and roads.

“We desperately need more housing in the area but what is being proposed is not doing anything to tackle the shortage of affordable, social housing. A balance needs to be struck between the genuine need for new homes and caring for our countryside. But what Labour have done is shift the balance even further in favour of the developers.”

Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, pictured

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw said there are some housing decisions “that won’t just include brownfield land”.

Cllr Ross-Shaw, the portfolio holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport at Bradford Council, said: “The Green Party need to be honest with their constituents about the planning system and housing, much of which is determined nationally. They brought a motion to Bradford Council declaring a ‘housing crisis’ a couple of years ago yet locally seem to spend a lot of time campaigning against new housing. Nationally the Green Party are committed to building 150,000 homes a year and it’s obvious that won’t be possible without making some honest decisions that won’t just include brownfield land.”

Among the 300 new houses referenced by Cllr Hickson was a development on Kaycell Street.

Cllr Ross-Shaw hit back by saying: “Cllr Hickson had no objection after the applicant amended the scheme slightly but is now issuing a press release saying she opposed it all along. It’s a classic example of politicians trying to appeal to everyone by saying one thing and doing another and hoping they’ll get away with it.”

He added: “The truth is that individual planning applications determined at a planning panel are done on a cross-party, non-political basis and the Green Party know this. We all know we need more houses and that means difficult decisions being taken so we can get good quality homes in the right places.

"Having an updated Local Plan in place will help us reject poor quality applications in the wrong places and we’re working at pace to get ours delivered after years of delays due to the constant national policy changes from the previous Conservative government and its many Prime Ministers.”