Bradford Council published its Core Strategy Local Plan on Monday Nov 11th 2013.
The Plan confirms that the Council is seeking for greenbelt protection to be removed so that 1800 new homes can be built on a large swathe of land stretching from Tong Lane and across Westgate Hill into the Tong Valley at Raikes Lane.
If you are concerned, come and see our presentations on the loss of Green Belt and how it will affect the Tong & Fulneck Valley
• 10am Saturday 11th January 2014 Tong Schoolroom
• 6pm Monday 13th January 2014 Holme Church
• 7.00pm Thursday 16th January 2014 Fulneck Boys Brigade (opposite Fulneck School)
A further 900 homes are planned to be built within Holme Wood or adjacent to it – TFVA is not opposing these. We reckon that 900 is a more than generous proportion for Tong Ward to be providing towards the total new housing that Bradford requires. However there is new anxiety about an additional area of land even deeper into the Valley which actually crosses both New Lane adjacent to Shackleton Wood and Raikes Lane up towards Black Carr Wood. This has been identified as being ‘available’ for housing, but is currently ‘unsuitable’. This has not been a part of any earlier plans, and indicates that Bradford is determined to eventually eliminate an even bigger section of countryside in the Tong Valley.
Although the required housing projection for the Bradford District as a whole has actually reduced by 3,400 new homes, all of these are to be achieved in Wharfedale and Airedale, and so the percentage of Bradford’s new housing that South East Bradford will be providing has actually increased from 10% to 14.3%.
Our best opportunity to challenge this will be through making ‘Representation’ to the Planning Inspectorate so that our voice can be heard at the Public Inspection that is likely to take place later in 2014.
TFVA – Our Final Challenge
Over the past four years Tong Fulneck Valley Association has consistently tried to deter Bradford Council from large scale housing development in the Tong Valley.
We remain convinced that this is a deeply flawed plan for our area, and that those who have devised it are misguided. We will therefore continue to do everything possible to persuade those who hold the reins of power to reject the part of the proposals that relates to green belt release in our area.
We hope that you will want to support us – do please join us at one of the above meetings, and also go to our website for more information: www.savetongvalley.org.uk
