More than one hundred economical residential units suggested for Bradford
In the heart of Bradford, plans for new housing developments are underway. Two sets of homes are proposed to be built on neighbouring sites in the Ravenscliffe area, specifically near Fagley Beck and an area off Norbury Road.
One set of homes will be constructed on land to the east of Roundwood Glen and Ranelagh Avenue, while the other set will be built on a green area off Norbury Road. The Local Democracy Reporting Service reports that the new scheme aims to deliver a successful housing development on the allocated site.
MPs from Bradford Council are scheduled to meet in June to discuss the new homes application. If approved, the scheme will deliver economic, social, and environmental benefits, meeting an identified housing need within the area and providing positive outcomes for the local community.
The application includes plans to incorporate measures that boost biodiversity in the area, such as street trees and hedgerows. However, it should be noted that trees will have to be removed from the sites to make way for the new homes. Any controversy this might cause should be considered against the delivery of a significant number of homes and the provision of landscaping.
Before the development can take place, the planning application has requested to improve Norbury Road, an unmade road that passes through one of the sites and will become the main access for some of the new houses.
While there is community engagement activity in Ravenscliffe related to housing from Incommunities, no concrete or detailed information is found about new home development proposals there or their potential effects on housing affordability and biodiversity in the provided sources. Further inquiry with Bradford City Council planning department or Incommunities directly might be necessary for the latest detailed planning and environmental impact assessments.
It's worth noting that the average house price in Bradford increased by 3.2% last year, reaching an average of £160,000. Yet, full-time workers in Bradford can expect to spend 5.1 times their annual earnings on purchasing a home in 2023.
The proposed development is not the only housing-related initiative in the city. Incommunities, a large social housing provider in Yorkshire formed in 2023, has submitted an application to build 130 new homes on two neighbouring sites in the northern city. Additionally, there is significant investment (£70 million) into upgrading and improving energy efficiency in over 5,000 social homes in West Yorkshire, which may influence affordability through reducing running costs, but this is a broader programme and not specified for Ravenscliffe.
As the plans for these new homes progress, the community and council will closely monitor the developments to ensure a balanced approach that considers both the needs for housing and the preservation of the local environment.
- The new housing developments in Bradford, specifically in the Ravenscliffe area, aim to provide inclusion and meet an identified housing need, offering economic, social, and environmental benefits to the local community.
- The proposed housing scheme includes measures to boost biodiversity, such as street trees and hedgerows, although it may require the removal of existing trees.
- With the average house price in Bradford increasing, the proposed development could further impact housing affordability, as full-time workers may need to spend up to 5.1 times their annual earnings to purchase a home.
- Beyond the Ravenscliffe developments, there are other housing-related initiatives in the city, such as Incommunities' plan to build 130 new homes and a £70 million investment into upgrading energy efficiency in social homes across West Yorkshire, which may indirectly impact affordability.
