Parish councillors in Addingham have admitted being slow off the mark in promoting the idea of a village design statement to influence new developments.

At the annual parish meeting, one resident pointed out that other villages in the Bradford district, such as Oxenhope and Burley-in-Wharfedale, had already produced their own design statements or were well on the way to doing so.

The documents are used as planning guidance by developers and local authorities to help them decide the type of developments which should take place in local communities.

Although village design statements cannot stop unwanted developments taking place, they can be used to ensure that what is built fits in with the character of the area.

The idea was suggested by Bradford Council leader Ian Greenwood when he visited the Parish Council earlier this year.

But Civic Society chairman Don Barrett said: "The council should have known about it a long time ago."

Parish Council chairman Stephen Crossley-Smith admitted: "We probably did know about it and did not do anything about it.

"We have to hold our hands up."

Anyone interested in the proposed Addingham village design statement, or able to volunteer to help create it, is invited to a meeting in the Old School, above the library in Main Street, at 7.30pm on April 22.

Parish Councillor Bill Preston told the meeting that the design statement would have to involve all the organisations in the village and it would cost around £3,000 to publish, although grants to help with funding were available.

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