OTLEY’S MP has formally objected to the East of Otley planning application.

Alex Sobel said he had been contacted by an unprecedented number of constituents in the town telling him of their concerns with the proposed development.

He said: “I have objected to the application based on several factors, firstly, the application for Phase one of the development is lacking in detail and does not meet the standard set out in Otley’s Neighbourhood Plan. Numerous concerns have been raised with me regarding the mix, style and quality of proposed housing, the relief road and the wider infrastructure of the development, the building of the school being in Phase two of the build instead of Phase one, how the biodiversity net gain would be met, along with numerous other environmental concerns being expressed and the lack of a full energy statement within the application to name a few.

“I am dissatisfied that the development fails to commit to 35 per cent affordable housing even though the development has grown from 550 houses to 700. A development of such size and scale must address the need for affordable housing within Otley.

“There is insufficient detail in both the outline and full planning application about the mix, style and quality of proposed housing. The character of Otley’s housing is key to the town being an attractive place to live in and visit and the local community does not want this diluted by housing that looks like it could be anywhere. Disappointingly there is also no mention of self-build as part of the development. It is therefore impossible to make a judgement at present due to the lack of details provided in the application, with no clear plans for future phases.”

A spokesperson for Persimmon Homes West Yorkshire said: “This major development in the East Otley area is a joint application with Leeds City Council. Working alongside the council, we hope to provide a collection of much-needed homes that will meet a range of budgets, as well as significant community investment and facilities.”

A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “It is premature to comment on the details of the scheme but determination of the planning application will be made based on a balanced consideration of all relevant policies at national and local level, including the Otley Neighbourhood Plan which is a part of the Leeds Local Plan.

“We have received more than 2,000 comments on the scheme to date and would like to thank local residents, businesses and all other groups for their input.

“Following the end of the consultation period, the next stage is for the local planning authority to draw these comments together with statutory consultee responses and deliver a position statement to the council’s city plans panel on the progress of the scheme.”