THERE are fears that almost 1,500 new homes planned for Huddersfield, and Cleckheaton are being “rushed through” in the final days before the local elections on May 6. Councillors on Kirklees Council’s Strategic Planning Committee on Wednesday, April 28, will be asked to look at applications for 1, 497 houses in the borough – almost as many as the authority’s yearly quota within the controversial Local Plan. Four out of the five applications have been recommended for approval by planning officers. The high numbers have been flagged up by both a senior Liberal Democrat and the committee’s Labour chairman.
For sale sign outside the Black Cat Fireworks factory at Crosland Moor, which is earmarked for a massive housing development
PLANS to build almost 400 homes across two former green belt sites in Cleckheaton are being recommended for approval this week. Both the site at Merchant Fields in Hunsworth, and Whitechapel Road, were earmarked for development in Kirklees Council s Local Plan for development in 2019. The larger of the two sites, Merchant Fields, involves a scheme for 267 homes by Harron Homes, and more than 100 residents have objected to it. In the plans, Harron Homes said the site would “create a sustainable residential development that supports the existing community and respects the positive features of the site”. Initially the application was to build a total of 298 homes on the 12 hectare site, which spans five adjoining fields of unused agricultural grazing land.
The site of the proposed 267 home development in Hunsworth. Inset, the proposed layout of the scheme MAJOR concerns have been raised about a controversial 260 home development on a greenfield site, which more than 100 residents have also objected to. The plans by Harron Homes are for 267 homes on Merchants Field Farm in Hunsworth, Cleckheaton, but the ecological damage the plans would cause, concerns around mining shafts under the site and more have seen experts recommend the plans be thrown out. More than 100 local residents have also expressed their concerns and anger at the planned development, which would see a major greenfield site tarmacked over for development.