RESIDENTS in Silsden could get the opportunity to decide how their town is developed under a new project spearheaded by the Countryside Commission.

The Village Design Project has already been tried out in various parts of the country, including West Yorkshire, where Oxenhope residents are helping to shape the future of the settlement.

Now a local Bradford District councillor has suggested that Silsden could be next, and she has the backing of the council's planning chairman.

Coun Eileen McNally told the Craven Herald this week that Silsden would be an ideal town in which to run the project.

"The Government has run some pilot projects in various towns and villages in the country," she said.

"I believe the parish council in Silsden really ought to be approaching Bradford's planning department because it's quite possible they could do something like this.

"Obviously there would have to be a group put together in Silsden of professional people who would take this forward."

Coun McNally added that she had put forward the idea to planning chairman Coun John Cope, who also agreed that Silsden might be a good area to base such a project.

People in the town are still reeling from the news that thousands of homes could be built under Bradford's controversial planning blueprint the Unitary Development Plan (UDP).

Objectors battled for several years to prevent the town being swamped with houses, but the UDP was officially ratified earlier this year.

Paul Bromley, chairman of Silsden Parish Council, gave a cautious welcome to the village design idea.

"We would obviously have to look at this further before making any decision," he said.

"I can see that it would be of benefit to the town and I'm sure that we'vesufficient professional people living here who would formthe basis of a design group.

"I'm sure that the parish council would be interested in working with this group and the planning department to put together a strategy for the future development of Silsden."

Under the Oxenhope design plan, surveys were carried out into the village's character, landscape setting and buildings.

More than 400 people attended a workshop and exhibition which detailed the results of the survey.

Public meetings were also held before a draft design statement was produced which includes details of building and road design, open spaces, types of appropriate development and conservation issues.

Villagers were informed of the design group's progress by leaflets, newspaper articles and posters in shops.

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