256 homes proposed at Hadfield Farm, Skipton Road

All of it feeds the A65

Hadfield Farm sits on Skipton Road, the A65. Addingham to the west and Burley in Wharfedale to the east also feed the same road.

Four reasons the plan is unsound for Hadfield Farm

At this stage the Inspector only weighs objections against four legal tests: is the plan positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy? Each point below is tied to the test it engages.

Is it justified?

A late addition that skipped the options stage

01

Not in the 2021 draftNew at the final stage, when only soundness can be argued

Hadfield Farm did not appear in the 2021 Preferred Options draft, when residents could compare alternatives. The current stage is limited to soundness, so the town's biggest site arrives with no real chance to debate other options. The plan must show it is the most appropriate choice against reasonable alternatives.

AskWhich alternative sites were tested for Ilkley, and why did Hadfield Farm rank above them in the Sustainability Appraisal?

Is it effective?

Skipton Road is the only road west

02

3 new access pointsrecommended in the council's site entry, with no location given

The A65 is the single route between Ilkley, Addingham and Skipton. When roadworks narrowed it earlier this year, the Victoria Avenue junction opposite the site was closed to keep traffic moving, and residents reported delays of 45 minutes from Addingham to Ilkley. The council says its transport mitigation focuses on major growth areas and strategic junctions, and its Transport Assessment names no junction in Ilkley. That raises the question of whether this stretch was tested with every Wharfedale site added together. The site entry recommends three access points but does not say where they would go.

AskWas the A65 west of Ilkley modelled with Hadfield Farm, Addingham and Burley combined, and where would the access go?

Is it consistent with national policy?

Open land at the gateway to the Dales

03

1.17% of the Green Beltreleased for housing across the district

The plan takes about 1.17% of the district's Green Belt for housing, and this site is part of it. National policy only allows boundaries to move in exceptional circumstances, and the harm must be kept as low as possible. The fields north of Skipton Road form the open approach to Ilkley from the west, below the moor. The council's own site entry advises against building in the centre of the site, where development would be most prominent in views from the town edge and the slopes to the north and south.

AskWhat does the site's Green Belt and landscape assessment say about harm, and why is this the least harmful option for Ilkley?

Is it effective?

One secondary school for the whole valley

04

About 800 homeson new sites in Ilkley and Addingham alone

Ilkley Grammar is the only secondary school in the Ilkley planning area, which also covers Addingham, Burley and Menston. The council's infrastructure plan says there are no showstoppers, but around 800 new homes in Ilkley and Addingham alone will need school places, GP capacity and sewage treatment.

AskWhich school, health and drainage improvements are funded and timed to arrive before these homes are occupied?

In the council's own words

What the site entry itself says

The council's entry for H1547 sets out problems with the site. These are quotes from the Publication Draft, not our words. They are worth reading before you write.

• The impact of developing the areas of the site which are located in close proximity to Hollin Hall farmhouse and outbuilding, will be difficult to mitigate and it is considered likely to result [in] less than substantial harm (of an unacceptable level).Heritage
• It is recommended that the north of the site is converted to open space and used as a multifunctional greenspace for flood storage … given the fluvial risk to the site in the 1% AEP plus climate change event.Flood risk
• Avoid development in the centre of the site, where development is more prominent in views from the settlement edge and rising slopes to [the] north and south.Landscape
• Partially covered with TPO woodland and contains areas of washland, woodland and grassland habitat.Ecology
• Three site access points are recommended.Highways

Respond before 5pm on Monday 30 November

1. 1Find the site

   Open the Publication Draft and find the Hadfield Farm allocation in the Ilkley section.

2. 2Name the test

   Say which soundness test it fails and why, in your own words. Copied letters carry less weight.

3. 3Ask for a change

   Delete the allocation, or reduce it until the transport and school evidence supports it.

4. 4Ask to be heard

   Say you want to take part in the examination hearings. Anyone seeking a change has that right.

Every response needs your name and address; anonymous responses are not accepted. Questions about responding: the council's Local Plan team on 01274 434605. The council is also holding online information sessions on 2, 12 and 18 November, 5pm to 6pm. Book by emailing the address above.