A long-awaited draft plan setting out where almost 33,670 homes could be built across Bradford over the next 17 years was unveiled today.
Bradford Council’s latest draft Local Plan identifies proposed housing and employment sites across the district up to 2043.
The 1,290-page document includes potential housing sites at the former Drummond’s Mill in Manningham, off Dockfield Road in Shipley and opposite Foster Square Retail Park.
It provides a blueprint for development, but allocating land does not grant planning permission. Proposals for individual sites would still have to go through the usual application process, with opportunities for residents to comment.
The draft follows years of delays. A previous version was published in 2021 but was never adopted.
The absence of an up-to-date Local Plan has been a major issue for the council, making it harder to shape where development takes place and resist speculative housing proposals.
The latest draft identifies sites for 33,669 homes and 110.5 hectares of employment land, supporting an estimated 30,000 jobs.
Around 70 per cent of the proposed housing allocation sites are in urban areas, with the council saying it has taken a “brownfield first” approach.
However, some Green Belt land would be released to meet housing and employment needs. The council says the proposed release for housing amounts to around 1.17 per cent of the district’s total Green Belt, which covers about 65 per cent of Bradford.
One significant change since the previous draft is progress on proposals for a mass transit system linking Bradford and Leeds.
The plan says the proposed tram system would make Bradford city centre a “highly attractive location for significant investment and development”.
The council’s Executive will be asked on Thursday, October 15, to approve formal publication of the plan, paving the way for a six-week consultation from October 19 to November 30.
Residents, businesses and other organisations would be able to make formal representations before the plan is submitted to the Government for independent examination.
This consultation, known as Regulation 19, focuses on whether the plan meets legal requirements and is “sound”, rather than inviting views on alternative options.
Representations will be considered during the independent examination, led by a Government-appointed planning inspector.
The plan and representations are expected to go before Full Council on December 9 before submission to the Government.
All local planning authorities are required by law to prepare and maintain an up-to-date Local Plan.
Councillor Andrew Judson, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Economy, Regeneration and Planning, said: “Having an up-to-date plan gives us much greater ability to shape where development happens and to resist inappropriate development, rather than leaving the district more exposed to speculative proposals.
“This plan seeks to strike the right balance. We need more homes, including affordable homes, land for businesses to grow and invest, and the infrastructure needed to support our communities. At the same time, we need to protect the green spaces, landscapes, heritage and natural environment that make our district special.”
