Updates from David Wilson Homes:

3rd April 2023: 

Highway Improvement Works on land off Main Street/A65, Burley in Wharfedale

As part of our ongoing residential development we intend to carry out highway improvement works at the above location. The proposed works are to be undertaken in accordance with Section 278 of the Highways Act 1980, which grants approval to undertake permanent alterations and improvements to the public highway to fulfil our planning approved obligations. The construction works will briefly comprise road widening to facilitate a right-hand turn lane, kerb line realignment, improved highway drainage and new footways & verges, linking from Wellfield Lane through to the A65 roundabout. Improved street lighting and white lining will also be installed. An extract of our proposals is below:

This construction work is scheduled to commence Monday 3rd April 2023 and is expected to take approximately 6 weeks to complete. The works will not continue over any public holiday periods, and the site will be made safe at all times. By the very nature of these works some delays and disruption to travel can be expected although every attempt to reduce this disruption will be made in order to keep this to a minimum. Please rest assured that best endeavours will be made to ensure these works are completed as quickly as possible, and to the satisfaction of Bradford Council Highways Department. The sub-contractor who has been appointed to undertake these works on behalf of Barratt & David Wilson Homes is M & J Evans Construction Ltd https://www.mjevansconstruction.co.uk

10th March 2023:

• We have started to build the first couple of new homes in the north-east corner of the site.  The entrance road off Main Street & Black Bull Lane will be constructed over the next coming weeks.
• Due to wet and unsuitable ground conditions in Phase 1, concrete driven piles are being used to an average depth of 3-6m to provide foundations for the new houses. The piling rig hammers the concrete piles in place and a concrete ground beam is cast above to support the house walls on. Concrete Piling  will continue on Phases 1 & 2 properties for at least the next 4-8 weeks as our program advances into the phase.
• The Sales Office and Show homes are earmarked to be opened early May ‘23
• We are aware that some local people have been questioning what is happening at the front of the site, where the ground has already been worked . This is where there will be community orchard will be located . We will be shortly preparing the soils for wild flower seeding.. This work will include ploughing the soils to ensure the conditions exist for the wild flowers to establish .
• Container grown fruit trees will be planted once the orchid area has been prepared and seeded mid-April . An estate railing will be constructed around the perimeter of the Orchard area to protect the Orchard  users from the A65 . A decorate tree seat will be placed for the community use. Our Ecologist is visiting sire regularly to monitor all ecological works.
• The orchid translocation is 50% complete , the donor site has been chosen by our consultant ecologist at the front of the site due to nature of the soils there. Shallow depressions have been dug  here  to retain the moisture for these plants . The berms will be landscaped with native hedgerows. Wildflower Planting Area Signage and  protective fencing will be placed explaining the importance of the Orchard Site  and Orchids to the Public
• An entrance feature is being planned in the north east corner of the site to provide a focal point to the village at its Western End . Please see attached draft artist impression  which we will present to Bradford Planners . These works will start in April – May 2023 in line with our Sales Office Launch
• Tree removal has taken place in the North Western  Area on the site in preparation for Phase 3 road entrance works . The Tree surgeon operations were strictly under the supervision  of  our consulting  Ecologist’s supervision . The protection of wildlife is our primary concern in any of our site operations.

Useful Documents  

The Ecological Design Strategy report can be downloaded here. This report lays out the action plan to be followed for the protection of wildlife and biodiversity across the site including the location of bat, bird and owl boxes. 

Tree Planting Plans can be downloaded below and show the trees which have now been removed and the replacement trees which are to be planted across the site. 
Tree Planting Plan 1
Tree Planting Plan 2 

Hedgerow removal at the site has been carried out in accordance with The Hedgerows Regulations 1997 s.5 & s.6.  

All planning documents can be found on the Bradford Council Planning Portal using the references:

• 21/05850/MAR (Reserved Matters Application) submitted by David Wilson Homes in 2021.
• 16/07870/SUB01 Proposal: Submission of details required by conditions 6, 13, 23, 38, 39, 42, 46, 47 of planning approval 16/07870/MAO:

Advanced Infrastructure Plan, Construction Emission Management Plan, Water Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP -Water), Site Execution Plan, Arboricultural Method Statement, Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP -Biodiversity), Ecological Design Strategy

16/07870/SUB02 Proposal: Submission of details required by conditions 9 & 10 of planning approval16/07870/MAO.1
6/07870/MAO (Planning Application submitted by CEG in 2016). 

 Frequently Asked Questions

· Delivery timescale is anticipated to be between 7 & 8 years following the Reserved Matters approval in July 2022.

· CIL is estimated at around £4 million. The community will therefore receive at least £1.25million in CIL. The CIL will be phased alongside the plan.

· The original planning application was made by CEG. Once the Secretary of State granted planning permission (following the public inquiry), the site was acquired by David Wilson Homes (DWH).

· Building materials - Will the buildings match the style of existing buildings which border the site. Eg: Yellow stone/concrete?
There are 6 areas within the site layout. Materials to be used are:
• Natural Stone with Slate.
• High quality red brick, re-constituted stone.
• Some houses will be rendered.
Windows will be uPVC and double glazed throughout.

· On site parking - The developer is providing 2 parking spaces per home, although there will not be any large areas for parking. The roads will be bordered, if possible, with swales (reed beds) to manage rainwater runoff. If that’s not possible, grass verges will be added and planted with trees to discourage parking on pavements. There will be some restrictive parking covenants to properties that are classed as shared ownership. Essentially (trade vehicles cannot be parked on site overnight. Communal and residential homes will be fitted with EVCP’s which are not ‘trickle charging’ points, they’ll be a little more substantial.
The road network is to be adopted by BDMC.

· Energy efficiency - Whilst housing will be built to current standards, designs will not include heat pumps or solar, as these are not in the current building regulations. That will change as new legislation is introduced by government. DWH anticipate that a high percentage of homes at Sun Lane will not have heat pumps or Solar Panels.

· Biodiversity - DWH will supply a ‘Give nature a home’ pack on completion of individual house sales to promote biodiversity. The Parish Council has requested Bird and Bat boxes, some of which can be built into bricks (the framework of the house). DWH are working with the RSPB and leading specialists in the field of ecology, JR Architect’s and BSG Ecology. The POS (public open spaces) are also going to encourage biodiversity, and DWH will work with the Parish Council to make the most of these areas.

· Shared ownership/Discounted Market Supply - 30% of all housing at Sun Lane is to be ‘affordable’ with a 50-50 split into Shared ownership/DMS. It’s important to state that a DMS house cannot be bought and then sold at the full market rate to make a quick profit, the 20% discounted sum remains in perpetuity.

· The Greenway – the Wharfedale Greenway is a stretch of green public footpath that is to run between Leeds and the Yorkshire Dales. In the original application, the route for the Greenway was to be incorporated within the site. DWH have now had site of proposals and will work with the Parish Council to ensure that this happens.