Housing developers can buy the former Airedale Mills site and have until 21 August 2024 to make their best offer.
The 207,000 sq ft site has listed for sale and has full planning permission for 67 homes. The cost of buying the land has not been made publicly available by estate agents Savills.
A brochure accompanying the land sale says the site is ideally placed just five miles west of the city centre and has the ‘strong appeal’ of nearby Rodley Nature Reserve.
The land is for sale after the previous developer last year withdrew from building on the site.
There had been hundreds of objections against the plans for houses, including Rodley Nature Reserve. And there have been ongoing concerns about the reliability of the newly constructed swing bridge, which leads over the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to connect to the site.
The brochure confirms the new landowner will have responsibility for the maintenance of the swing bridge.
It says: “Pursuant to the outline planning permission granted, the current owner has already had constructed and installed a new swing bridge over the canal which provides access to the site (and the adjoining cricket club and nature reserve/surrounding land holdings of Yorkshire Water).
“The bridge was constructed pursuant to a collaboration agreement entered into with the Canal & River Trust and the surrounding landowners and which provides for the long terms arrangements for the bridge to be in place and operated.
“The bridge is owned within a separate management company responsible for its ongoing management and maintenance and which is supported by a service charge connected to the site (payable in its entirety by the owners/occupiers of the site going forward).
“Ownership and control of the bridge (via the transfer of all of the shares in the management company) will be included in the sale and it will form part of the development arrangements going forward.”
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Abandon the houses idea, someone should turn it into an extra visitors car park for the canal and nature reserve. Parking down there in Rodley on a weekend is a nightmare especially when the pubs have events on, there aren’t enough spaces. Could even add a cafe and toilets/changing facilities for visitors and commuters wishing to park then cycle into town along the towpath.