PLANS to build homes on the edge of a Baildon housing estate have been approved.

The five homes will be built on an undeveloped strip of land between the Green Belt and a recent development of over 70 homes on the former West Lane Reservoir.

Jason Hudson had submitted the plans earlier this year, and they were discussed at a meeting of Bradford Council's Regulatory and Appeals Committee on Thursday.

Members heard that there had been seven objections to the plans from neighbouring residents.

They raised concerns about extra traffic to the site and the layout of the homes.

Flats plans for Baildon clinic building are refused

There is already planning permission to build three houses on the site, but some objectors said this latest plan had a different layout, which would harm their privacy.

Baildon Councillor Debbie Davies (Cons) spoke on behalf of objectors. She said there was no objection to the idea of housing on this strip of land, but that these homes would be too big. She said most consideration should have been given to the homes nearest the site, as the planned design would see the new homes built too close to the existing properties.

Planning officer Martyn Burke said the layout meant the new homes would be, at the closest point, 19.5 metres from the existing properties.

He pointed out that legally the houses could be built just 12 metres from the existing homes.

Access to the houses would be down a long access road. Members of the committee were told that bin waggons would not travel down this road. Instead there would be a bin storage area at the entrance to the site. Residents would have to move their bins down to this site to be collected.

Members voted to approve the development.

One condition of the plans is that future residents would not have automatic permission to turn their garages into living areas.