RESIDENTS surrounding the redundant International Wool Secretariat building in Valley Drive have been urged to inspect plans to develop the site into housing.

The plans are on show at Ilkley Town Hall and most residents are expected to broadly welcome the proposed development, particularly if it includes starter homes for young couples.

Last year there was local

outrage when the boss of a

bathroom fittings warehouse and factory proposed to move his

business there from Silsden.

A mistake on the original planning application suggested that the deadly chemical cyanide would be stored at the site raising fears that a leak could poison

residents.

Even after the mistake was cleared up residents objected to the building's continued use as an industrial site. The factory plan was withdrawn.

Now a Newcastle-based housing developer, Bellway Homes Ltd, has applied for planning

permission to build 78 homes, comprising of 17 houses, 29

one-bedroom and 32 two-bedroom flats with access from Valley Road and Rombalds View.

Local resident John Sayers, of Sunset Drive, objected to the bathroom factory plan on the grounds of increased traffic, noise and smells.

He told the Gazette this week that he welcomed the housing plan as a great improvement on the earlier proposal.

Mr Sayers said: "I haven't been to see the plans at the Town Hall but as they are for residential development I am highly

delighted compared with what they were before.

"One of the concerns is that they seem to be putting lots of homes on there and I don't know if people want to live like

sardines.

"This is a residential area and it would be difficult to object to building houses after already objecting to a commercial type development."

He said ideally he would like the building to remain as it was but he knew that was not a realistic prospect and some sort of redevelopment would be taking place in the near future.

"We have to accept they are going to redevelop it anyway and housing seems to be the preferable option," said Mr Sayers.

Local politicians have broadly welcomed the plan, particularly if Bradford Council's housing development department can offer the money to provide starter homes for young couples on the site.

They want affordable housing money which is due to be paid over by Ilkley College site developer Crest Homes - believed to be £400,000 - to be used on the site.

District Councillor Martin Smith (Tory) said: "We are

convinced that all parties will be happy with the change of use of this site from light industrial to residential. Indeed in the light of the recent failed application there will be many sighs of relief.

Coun Smith said he was concerned about the density of the proposed housing.

"Indeed to propose building 78 dwellings on that site is excessive and over dense. A four-storey so near to the existing dwellings gives us concerns and the highway and parking implications need consideration," said Coun Smith.

He has urged people living in the area to view the plans on show at the Town Hall so they could make up their own minds about it.

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