Councils clash over industrial park on flood plain
LEEDS COUNCIL has written to a government Minister to raise “significant concerns” that a decision by its Bradford counterparts could increase the risk of floods in the city.
The council has criticised the decision to approve the building of an industrial park off Royd Ings Avenue, next to the River Aire in Keighley.
And its letter calls for the decision to be “called in” – meaning the decision by Bradford Council could be reversed by the Government.
The application, by PH Holdings, was approved by Bradford Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee in June. That decision was made despite the Environment Agency and the council’s own officers suggesting the plans be refused.
Because the land is on a flood plain and partially in Green Belt land, a final decision has to be made by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, James Brokenshire.
Now a letter has been sent to Mr Brokenshire by Tom Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council and former head of Yorkshire Forward – the group responsible for a number of regeneration projects in Bradford.
The plans will see nine new commercial units built on the site – with the developers saying the park would bring up to £60m of investment to Keighley and create hundreds of jobs.
The Environment Agency had argued that building on a flood plain would increase the risk of flooding further down river, including Shipley, Bingley and Leeds.
Council officers had also urged that the scheme be refused.
The letter from Leeds Council says there are “significant concerns” about “the impact of this development upon managing flood risk in Leeds and the costs and other implications that could arise should it occur”.