PROPOSED charges on new building developments will see no possibility of a fair proportion of the money returning to Wharfedale despite higher charges on the valley's prime land, a ward councillor has warned.

Martin Smith (Con, Ilkley) says the low return to the area of just 25 per cent of planning gain money – coupled with the highest charges in Bradford district of £100 per square metre – will lead more residents to consider calls to move the area outside the control of Bradford Council.

The local authority's consultation on the new Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which will replace Section 106 planning agreements, came to a close on Monday.

In his consultation response, Cllr Smith also criticised the council for basing the policy on the yet-to-be-agreed Core Strategy, for not doing more to bring brownfield land back into use and get unoccupied homes back into use.

Cllr Smith said: "The percentages proposed by Bradford are 25 per cent to town and village councils and 75 per cent to overall support for infrastructure costs into Bradford, and with no possibility of a fair proportion returning to the outer areas, this is disingenuous to Bradford’s large outer area.

"The CIL charges are £100 per square metre in the outer areas of Wharfedale. This will ensure those area's residents consider removing themselves from Bradford’s control, as suggested by the two MPs in these areas, therefore a significant loss to Bradford’s CIL.

"The document is based on the Core Strategy proposals of 42,000 new homes by 2030, but these are not agreed and the documents are flawed, so the assessment of the amount to contribute to the future council budgets on this basis is wrong, and will be lower than expected. Deciding the CIL before even the local plans are completed is crass. Also running the CIL with the S106 is double trouble for all concerned."

He added: "We also need to reuse the homes that are over shops back into affordable homes, get unoccupied homes back into use and increase the use of brownfield sites beyond those in the Core Strategy.

"Bradford has no information on the number of lock-up shops with unused accommodation on the upper floors to bring them up to decent home standards.

"This will also effectively reduce the number of houses on any greenbelt land and put homes where the main workload is required, in the towns."