Green belt pledge as minister lifts block on Bradford housing plan

Housing Minister Gavin Barwell has lifted the block he imposed on Bradford Council’s local plan, the document which sets out the districts plans for housing and business premises.

His intervention last October followed complaints from Philip Davies, the Conservative MP for Shipley, that the proposals threatened the green belt.

Mr Barwell’s decision was branded a “mate’s favour” by Shadow Housing Secretary John Healey at the time.

In his letter to the council lifting the block, Mr Barwell acknowledges that the plan in its current form “does not alter the existing boundaries of the Green Belt”.

However, he also warns the authority that the council should not see the move as an acceptance that green belt boundaries can be changed later as the plan develops.

The letter says the Government will consider using its powers to intervene again if there are concerns over Bradford’s approach to green belt land.

Mr Davies said: “The challenge to the council is what are they going to do to respond to this clear shot across the bows from the minister. It is basically saying you can’t be so liberal giving up the green belt and that is all I ever asked.

“I am delighted with what the minister has had to say and I hope the council, rather than being all triumphant about it, will study what he has actually said rather than what they hope he said, or wanted him to have say, or want other people to think he has said and come back to say what they will do differently to reassure my constituents and me and the minister that the green belt in my constituency is going to be protected.

“That is clearly what he is asking them to do.”

The lifting of the ‘hold’ order on Bradford’s local plan was welcomed by council leader Susan Hinchcliffe

She said: “From the outset everyone knew that the local plan obviously complied with all the planning rules set by Government and therefore it would have been odd for Government to find their own rules defective.

“My biggest concern over this last few months has been that developers would put an application in on green belt anywhere in the district and without a Local Plan we would have been powerless to stop them.

“The Secretary of State confirms our view that Green Belt should only be developed in exceptional circumstances. We agree. We have as much concern about the countryside and want to protect it as much as anyone else.”

All councils have to produce local plans setting out the expected demand for land for housing and business use.

The latter stages of local plans involve allocating particular pieces of land for development.

Failure to have an agreed local plan can leave councils vulnerable to developers appeals where planning permission has been turned down.

The documents are increasingly important to councils financially as they move to a position where all their income comes from council tax and business rates as the Government withdraws its main grant support for local authorities by the end of the decade.