Abandoned Bradford golf shop to be turned into flats

A former golf shop is to be demolished to make way for flats after proposals for the site were given the go-ahead by planners.

The American Golf Warehouse building on Bradford Road in Menston has been vacant and fenced off for a number of years, and was described in a planning application as being “of very limited architectural merit”.

The application to demolish the structure and build a modern building containing nine apartments was submitted to Bradford Council by Cunningham Estates Ltd last year.

Approving the proposals, planning officers said the regeneration of the plot of land was “welcomed”.

The existing building dates back to the 1920s and lies between Bradford Road and the railway line.

However, the planning application called for this building to be demolished to allow the construction of the proposed flats.

The development would include a two-bed apartment and lobby areas on the ground floor, two three-bed flats, a one-bed flat and a three-bed flat on the first floor and a two-bed and three-bed apartment on the second floor.

It would also include underground parking for eight vehicles as well as a single outdoor parking space, the developers said.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the application stated that the current building’s structural fabric and internal finishes were “in poor condition, requiring extensive repairs and refurbishment”.

The new building would be “a distinctive modern architectural response that employs high-quality materials while referencing the local context”, it said.

Planners heard that there had been one objection to the proposals, which described the suggested new construction as appearing to be “a prison-like building”.

It went on to describe the plans as “lazy architecture to the demise of the area”.

Approving the demolition of the current building to give way for the new flats, officers said: “The building is of very limited architectural merit, of poor condition and has been stood empty for some considerable time.

“There are no objections to its demolition. Indeed, the re-development of this plot is welcomed.

“The design is clearly bespoke and would appear as a striking built form.

“The site is located in a sustainable location in Menston, with easy access to the train station and bus routes.”