Red tape delay to flats plan is not cricket - PM

The prime minister highlighted one of West Yorkshire's quirkiest planning wrangles when discussing his push to shake up the planning process.

A residential development of 139 flats in Crossflatts, Airedale, has faced delays due to fears future residents could be hit by flying cricket balls.

During a speech on Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer used the story as an example of how developments could be stalled by a "cottage industry of checkers and blockers".

Developers were granted permission to convert an office building next to Crossflatts Cricket Club subject to a cricket ball risk assessment - but Sport England said the study underestimated the power of some of the players' shots.

There was also a recommendation for a 4m (13ft) fence to protect residents and the property.

Seven months after Aire Valley Ltd submitted a ball strike report, Bradford Council is yet to decide whether the assessment is adequate enough to allow the development to go ahead.

Speaking during a visit to Hull, the prime minister signalled he wanted to take on a "watchdog state completely out of whack with the priorities of the British people", as he set out plans to reform public services.

Referring to the Crossflatts planning wrangle, he said: "I'll give you an example.

"There's an office conversion in Bingley, which as you know, is in Yorkshire.

"That is an office conversion that will create 139 homes.

"But now the future of that is uncertain because the regulator was not properly consulted on the power of cricket balls.

"That's 139 homes.

"Now, just think of the people, the families, the individuals who want those homes, to buy those homes to make their life and now they're held up. Why?

"You'll decide whether this is a good reason – because I'm going to quote, this is the reason – because the 'ball strike assessment doesn't appear to be undertaken by a specialist, qualified consultant'."

A decision on the suitability of the Crossflatts ball strike assessment has yet to be made, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The most recent submission from Sport England reveals communications between the developer's agent, Sport England and Bradford Council's planning department.

The agent said: "Unlike Headingley, it will not be Freddie Flintoff that is striking a ball from this ground, it will be Mr Jones on a Saturday/Sunday morning.

"Mr Flintoff in his best years would have struggled to clear a 4m high fence that you propose on this development to the boundary."

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