Green light for more than 40 new homes

Plans to build a development consisting of 41 affordable houses, in the Long Lee area of Keighley, have been approved by Bradford Council.

The scheme will be developed by Urban Developments (York) Ltd, which is part of York based Urban Group, in partnership with Bradford-based social housing provider, Accent. It has been designed by Brewster Bye Architects.

The site, between Long Lee Lane and Redwood Close, currently consists of open land and several run-down residential and farm buildings.

All the two and three-bedroom homes will have parking and gardens, and construction is due to start this summer.

Once complete, Accent, which was established in 1966 and currently operates and owns more than 20,000 homes, will manage the development and make the homes available for affordable rent and sale on a shared ownership basis.

Nick Gould, managing director of Urban Developments (York), said: “Securing the go-ahead for this development is a great achievement for everyone involved and we’re looking forward to starting work on site.

“Long Lee benefits from good local amenities and public transport links, close to the acclaimed St. Ives Estate and surrounded by countryside, but it’s still just a short drive to both Keighley and Bingley town centres.

“We’re confident this development of high-quality new homes, that will appeal to a wide mix of residents and families, will become a very popular place to live.”

Mark Henderson, from Brewster Bye Architects, said: “This development will provide local jobs and training opportunities as well as utilising Homes England funding to help deliver the Government’s agenda for new homes.

“We’ve designed the whole scheme around the natural slope of the land, which will create a development that sits comfortably within the existing context of both the site and its surrounding urban environment.

“The northern part of the development, consisting of 32 homes, has a traditional residential layout and the southern section of the development will be a smaller, mews style, development.

“The two distinct areas will be separated by a substantial public open space and additional landscaped areas will be a key feature throughout the scheme.”

Andrew Black from Accent added: “This is an exciting opportunity for us. We are really looking forward to starting on site and working closely with Bradford Council and our partners to bring the scheme forward and establish a new, vibrant and sustainable community.”