Allowing a large house to be built on the site of a derelict care home would allow the developers to benefit from the illegal felling of trees, Cllrs have been told.
Members of the Bradford Area Planning Panel discussed an application for a fly tipped site on Oak Mount, Manningham, at a meeting last week.
The application would see the existing derelict care home on the site demolished and replaced with a large house.
But members were told that before the application was submitted, a number of protected trees on the site were cut down without permission.
The new home would be built on the site of some of these illegally felled trees.
Planning officers had recommended the application, submitted by Mohammed Tayyab, be refused, but some Cllrs said the work would help improve an eyesore, fly tipped site.
At the meeting planning officer Andrew Moxon said: “This is a Conservation Area, and the trees on the site are protected.
“Work has been done to fell trees, and this work was unauthorised.”
Michael Ainsworth, agent for the applicants, told members that the trees had been felled before the applicants bought the site.
He said the new building would be an “attractive addition” to the area, and that the applicants were willing to plant trees elsewhere to compensate.
Mr Moxon told members that any protected trees that were felled would legally have to be replaced with new trees in the same location. The design of the new property meant that this would be impossible if the new home was built.
He said if the plans were approved “the developer would benefit from the unlawful felling of trees.”
Cllr Matt Edwards (Green, Tong) said: “This is quite a high-quality development on a derelict care home site. Is there a possibility to defer this decision so the applicant can address the issues we’ve raised?”
Mr Moxon said: “The changes required would be so significant it would need to be a separate application.
“The loss of trees has caused substantial harm to the area. The benefits of approving this plan would be outweighed by the harm to the Conservation Area.”
Cllr Mohammed Amran (Lab, Heaton) said: “I know the site quite well, it needs improving. There is a massive problem with fly tipping on this site, and the area was on TV recently.”
He was referring to the Bradford On Duty documentary, which featured scenes in and around this area showing empty buildings blighted by fly tipping and squatters.
Planning officer Amin Ibrar replied: “Fly tipping is beyond the control of us. We’re here to decide if a development is appropriate.”
Legal officer Marcus Woody said: “Regardless of what the site looks like, it is a Conservation Area, and our duty as a Council to protect these areas is not something you can dismiss.”
Cllr Brendan Stubbs (Lib Dem, Eccleshill) said: “We can’t allow people to build whatever they want to fix a non-planning problem like fly tipping.”
Members voted to defer their decision to a future date to allow the applicants to address the issues raised during the meeting.
