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Resident’s gear up for fight to stop unwanted development in Bierley

Matt Edwards, Green Party resident for Tong Ward has joined Bierley residents to raise concerns about the potential for a new housing application at Lockwood Farm.

A freedom of information request to Bradford Council has revealed that the Lockwood Farm site has planning applications that would increase the total number of houses from 118 to 150.

The south part of the site has been taken over by Countryside Properties who plan to build 75 houses whilst the north part has been taken by Keepmoat Homes who plan to build 72. A total of 147.

The original application from 2018, would have seen only 118 houses built so this is a significant increase.

In December, an agent working on behalf of Keepmoat wrote to residents living near the site asking for feedback on the outline proposals before an application was submitted to Bradford Council.

Matt has said “I have been speaking to residents living in the southern part of Bierley and people are feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of developments on the cards for the fields around Shetcliffe Lane.

“We have 140+ housing planned for Lockwood Farm, the Crematorium a bit further along and more houses at the old playing field of St. John’s Primary School.

“Shetcliffe Lane is only a narrow country lane and it won’t be able to cope with the volume of traffic proposed. The junctions at either end – Tong Street and Bierley Lane are already bad at rush hour.”

Suzette Soane, a resident on Shetcliffe Lane has said “I know a lot of our neighbours are really concerned by all the planned developments of houses along Shetcliffe Lane as well as the Crematorium.

“This is going to have a big impact on environment here! The road is already extremely busy and dangerous road and this will make it so much worse!

“This is one of the last rural bits round here and it would be such a shame to lose it when there are so many places around here you could build houses without building on fields.”