PLANNERS have approved a new access road to potential future housing off Silsden’s busy main road.

The new road will run from Keighley Road across wasteland that currently lies between two unadopted side streets, Millbank and Albert Square

The new road would allow vehicle access to a site in Sykes Lane allocated for housing under Bradford Council’s Unitary Development Plan.

The two side streets would be blocked off at their junctions with Keighley Road, and instead they would have new entrances and exits to the new access road.

The access road plan has been approved by Bradford Council, but has drawn concern from town and district councillor Adrian Naylor.

He insisted that any surfacing of the two side streets should be carried out sympathetically because they were in a conservation area.

He said: “While the work will improve the appearance of the current roads, it must be in keeping with the historic nature of the area – stonework or cobbles rather than a sea of tarmac.

“This work also needs to be carefully considered in relation to how many homes are built.”

The proposed housing site lies between the Leeds Liverpool Canal and Sykes Lane, which runs parallel with Keighley Road.

It is one of several sites between Keighley Road and the canal which are likely to be developed for housing or retail over the next few years.

In 2012. Harron Homes revealed proposals to build 55 homes on the Sykes Lane site but has not yet submitted a formal planning application

The company submitted the access road application jointly with Bradford Council – which owns the strip of wasteland – and Novo Homes.

The applicants applied for the access road in isolation, so that Harron Homes could establish the principle of such an access before embarking on costly preparations for a full application for the housing development.

The applicants said the new entrance off Keighley Road would provide a much safer access for residents of Millbank and Albert Square.

A previous planning application for 120 homes on Sykes Lane, submitted by Taylor Woodrow Developments, was approved by Bradford Council in 2008.

Cllr Naylor said he would have preferred Bradford Council planners to have discussed the application for the Keighley Road-Sykes Lane access road in conjunction with other planning applications, including proposals to build a supermarket on the nearby Becks Mill site.