The MP for Shipley and Bingley, Chris Leslie, is right to be concerned about the style of houses to be built on land off Warren Lane at Gilstead. The development will bridge the final gap between Eldwick and Gilstead and will remove the attractive piece of green belt which currently separates the two villages, giving them space to breathe.

The vast majority of residents feel that planning permission should never have been granted for this tract of land. They made their views plain enough when plans were submitted in 1996 and have kept up their opposition ever since. But now, following a public inquiry and appeal, the scheme has been approved and outline planning permission has been given to Bryant Homes to built 400 houses - 144 initially, the rest after the Bingley relief road has been built.

Given that the development is to go ahead in principle, the style of the houses needs to be carefully monitored by the planners to ensure that the homes have a quality of design which will in some way ameliorate the damage caused by the loss of this green plot of land.

A great deal more thought also needs to go into the impact of these hundreds of new homes on the community and its amenities. It is bound to put pressure on the local school. The developers should be funding expansion there as part of their obligation to the area. Also, as Chris Leslie says, they should have to ensure that other amenities like medical facilities and public green spaces are able to cope..

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