Bid for first wave of homes in Haworth to get under way

7:00am Saturday 8th June 2013 in Keighley

A businessman still intends building hundreds of houses on fields at Haworth, despite little movement on the plans for more than six months.

Perves Abbas announced proposals for up to 300 houses on land he owns at Weavers Hill in September and on several occasions since has said a planning application is imminent.

Now he has revealed plans are moving ahead, with an application for the first wave of 97 houses and a meeting with residents due this month.

The site is used for grazing and is next to moorland that inspired the Bronte sisters.

But last month it was revealed the area is still being considered for new homes as part of Bradford Council’s Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment, which is out to consultation and will plan where future houses are built.

Weavers Hill is listed as one of 19 potential housing sites in Haworth.

Mr Abbas, of Bradford, said if his initial application was successful he would submit a further application for another 200.

He added: “Plans will be submitted some time within the next two weeks.

“We are refining things and we’re almost ready to submit an application. We are waiting for traffic surveys and things like that to come back. I will have a meeting with residents soon.”

The number of houses he wants to build has dropped from an initial 320.

But the scheme has already been opposed by many in the village, including the Bronte Society.

Responding to the site being included on the SHLAA, the society’s heritage officer Christine Went said: “We were disappointed but not very surprised.

“I should think the parish council is opposed to this too. Nobody wants this particular site developed.

“We understand there is a need for housing and certain types of housing.

“Not everyone wants to live in a quaint cottage on Main Street but there are places you put houses and there are places you don’t. It is such a sensitive area.

“When people come here to go to the museum or walk on the moors they don’t want to see a huge housing estate.”

She said the group would soon make a representation on the SHLAA.

Councillor John Huxley, chairman of the local parish council, said it could not comment in detail on the application before it was submitted.

“That size of development is more than we’d probably want there, but we have to see what his plans are first,” he said.

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