HOLME Valley villages under threat – pressure group swings into action:

Magdale: “Developers should be using all the brownfield sites before ripping up more greenfield. Huddersfield and surrounding areas are awash with wasteland. But perhaps money buys votes.”

markmyword49: “Brownfield sites cost more for the developer in clean-up costs before they can build. It cuts into their profits. They’d much rather have profits than countryside.

“For Kirklees and many other local authorities it’s a no-win situation because the developers have both the money and legal expertise to bulldoze through their plans. They can keep resubmitting slightly amended plans or appeal them which costs authorities money they cannot afford. The officers have a duty to obey the rules and inform the councillors of the likelihood of huge bills if they lose a case. Given your friend Mr Pickles giving the green light to any development that can show an economic case I suspect there’ll be little left of the green corridors between villages throughout England by 2015.”

Seanster: “Agree. brownfield land first.”

Magdale: “markmyword49, I think you read me wrong. Perhaps many moons ago Mr Pickles might have been my so-called friend, but I have seen the light and have washed my hands of politicians. Voting is a waste of time and the last general election was the last time I will vote! ”

Noetic: “Oh goody, more NIMBYs with nothing better to do than stop any chance of more affordable housing and businesses settling in the area! Just what we need in these tough economic times (not!).”

Rutland: “For ‘affordable’ housing read ‘block’ or substandard housing. Since when has KMC been good at attracting anything like industry or ‘business’ of any kind?”

SimonC: “Unfortunately since house prices are still so much more than people can afford, you don’t get much for what is ‘affordable’ for most people.”

adm: “You do right to protest. Once this Green Belt has gone, it’s gone for good.”

jeremybear: “I agree with Magdale. Build on brownfield sites, and build affordable and social housing to give people some hope for their future.”

bunny: “I tend to agree with Magdale. These developments, whatever they are, are a ‘pain’. We live opposite the new housing development in Thongsbridge / Holmfirth on Huddersfield Road, and since the work started our life has been hell on earth.”