A Bramhope councillor is urging people to have their say on a blueprint which is aiming to protect their historic village.

Clive Fox says the proposed Bramhope conservation area is “perhaps the most important planning document to have emerged for many years when it comes to preserving the character of the village”.

The document is being made available for public consultation, which runs until February 25.

There will also be a public meeting on February 1, at 7pm, at the Robert Craven Memorial Hall.

The proposal has been fully funded by the three Adel and Wharfedale ward councillors using their North West outer area committee budget.

Coun Fox, who has lived in Bramhope for more than 60 years, welcomed the proposal and said: “Bramhope is after all tightly surrounded by green belt apart from one possible area of development. This means future development will be mainly contained within the present village envelope, which puts development pressure on existing vacant land and properties.

“The proposed conservation area covers much more than just the historical core of the village, extending as it does to well over half of Bramhope, embracing some 500 flats and houses. The study identifies a number of ‘character areas’ of historical or architectural note within the village and the intention is that any future development will need to respect those characteristics. In other words in design terms it will need to preserve or enhance the conservation area, particularly in design terms, if it is to have any chance of being approved.

“It is a long cherished ambition of mine that Bramhope should have its own conservation area and my two ward colleagues shared my views and together we agreed to fund the project from our ward budget. The conservation area defines and will help preserve the special characteristics of Bramhope and I hope as many people as possible will contribute to the consultation process.”

The document says the Bramhope Conservation Area is of both architectural and historic interest.

“The area has lost a few key elements of its past and has been affected by developments which may not be in keeping with historic character,” it says.

“There is therefore a need for guidance to preserve and enhance the area.”

Among the issues of concern are the risk of inappropriate infill development, inappropriate materials used to build new properties, a poor choice of material used during the replacements of historic features and inappropriate development affecting important views.

The conservation area study closely follows the framework for an appraisal in the English Heritage document ‘Guidance on Conservation Area Appraisals’ published in 2006. The survey work was carried out between April and July 2010.

The document says: “By creating a new conservation area here it is not intended that development be prevented altogether but that it be monitored and controlled to ensure that proposals within or adjacent to the proposed conservation area are sympathetic to the character of the site, and that it does not cause the destruction of key features that are essential to fully appreciate this important site within its historical context.” The conservation area will cover five main parts of Bramhope — the historic core, focused around the junction of Eastgate and Church Hill; the Creskelds area of inter-war development; Hall Drive; inter-war developments at Wynmore Avenue and Tredgold Avenue; and historic farmhouses around Leeds Road and Staircase Lane.