Future of 3 plans for 300 Kirklees homes to be decided - including one branded 'threat to life'

A planning application dubbed a ‘threat to life’ is among the controversial proposals to be decided by Kirklees Council’s Strategic Planning Committee next week.

Two of the plans for developments in Liversedge and Homfirth have racked up hundreds of objections between them from residents fearing for the impacts on their local areas. Meanwhile in Milnsbridge, an application for 35 homes is being brought to the committee as it wouldn’t secure the usual planning conditions required under local and national policy.

Below, we detail the plans set to be decided upon on Thursday, December 5.

READ MORE: BBC MasterChef star Lloyd Grossman makes brutal Gregg Wallace 'different sort of vibe' comparison

READ MORE: Warning issued to millions of Brits still working from home after Covid

Primrose Lane, Liversedge - 77 Homes

A total of 144 objections have been submitted in response to this controversial application, which would see 77 new homes built on a plot of land off Primrose Lane.

The site is earmarked for homes in the council’s Local Plan and is bordered by the Spen Valley Greenway to the north, along with fields belonging to local football club Hartshead AFC. A new point of access would be created from Darley Road as part of the development.

The properties would be a mixture of two to five-bedroom homes, mainly detached and semi- detached. There would also be 12 two-bedroom units split across two apartment buildings.

Council officers have recommended that the application should be approved, though members of the public beg to differ. One resident commented: “I still object to this application as this is already a heavily populated built up area with a high rate of traffic.

“Adding 77 additional dwellings will increase air pollution, massively increase demand on the already struggling social infrastructure and remove a large amount of green space that is already limited in this area.

“Children deserve a happy, healthy, safe area to grow up in, by allowing this development to go ahead you are removing this for the children of Darley Road and the surrounding areas.”

Approval would come with a number of conditions including that 15 of the homes are affordable and the developer, Jones Homes, contributes £118,791 towards education requirements arising from the development and £69,385.50 towards sustainable travel measures.

Bankfield Drive, Holmfirth - 21 Homes

Another application which has proved controversial is for 21 homes on land off Bankfield Drive in Holmbridge, Holmfirth. The proposals have previously being dubbed a ‘threat to life’ by a local resident. The plans have racked up more than 100 objections, yet council officers have recommended they are approved.

One resident said: “The proposed plan of 21 houses and ultimately more cars endangers the village children and other pedestrians, outweighing bringing (if any) further contribution to the village.”

Another commented: “The local roads to Holmbridge are already congested, they are steep, remain ungritted in winter and access is often difficult - there are no pavements on many surrounding roads and it is already unsafe for school children and anyone walking due to the number of vehicles.”

Get all the latest and breaking Huddersfield news straight to your inbox by signing up to our daily newsletter here.

The plans from Orion Homes Ltd would see a range of two, three and four-bedroom homes built on the site, which would be accessed off Laithe Avenue. The number of homes being proposed has risen since the application was first put in, rising from 16.

Should the committee give the green light, the developer will have to comply with a series of conditions including a £104,880 contribution to off-site measures to achieve biodiversity net gain, £55,932.16 to public open space, and establish a management company for land and infrastructure.

Former Dowker Works, Milnsbridge - 35 Homes

Plans for 35 homes at the Former Dowker Works at Dowker Street close to the centre of Milnsbridge have received a generally warmer reception from the public, with five comments in support, two against and one general comment.

One supporter wrote: “As the former Chair of Milnsbridge Enhancement Group [MEG], I am delighted at this proposal. The site is a longstanding eyesore in Milnsbridge that we have monitored for years, requesting clear-ups of rubbish and mending of the vulnerable panels. The effect on Milnsbridge will be enormous in removing a source of shame and unhealthy fly-tipping.”

The plans were originally for 38 homes, with the objections raised taking issue with the number of properties being proposed at the time, with one stating that fewer homes would “be more practical”.

However, unlike the other applications, the number of objections received has had no bearing on the application being brought to the committee for a decision. This application is being dealt with by the panel due to viability issues, with it said to be ‘unviable’ for the applicant to provide a £80,583 contribution to public open space that would ordinarily be required, and 100 percent affordable homes as is the plan. This stance was backed up by an independent assessor.

Council officers have recommended the plans be approved without the open space contribution. The entire development would be for affordable rent, have one, two and three-bed homes and come with designated parking spaces.