KIRKLEES planning department has decided that the lovely green space behind Orchard Terrace, Primrose Hill, should now have a mini-estate built on it. This will comprise 11 (two-storey) buildings; 22 flats with car park spaces.
For years the site has been used by dog walkers while the remaining space is used for garages which the owners have been told to clear and re-site several streets away from their houses.
On this site there are lovely mature trees which have bats in them. Owls, foxes and other wildlife visit the area regularly.
On a practical note we believe the site is unsafe for building, as it has a mineshaft running under it which starts at the bottom of Primrose Hill and finishes at Hall Bower.
A ‘desktop’ survey has said it poses a ‘low to moderate’ risk, but without a full survey no-one knows the full risks.
We believe any building on this site could be affected by subsidence, as well as existing houses adjacent to the site.
There are also underground springs; three houses on Orchard Terrace have already been flooded due to these springs. Springs do not ‘go away’ but are re-sited, so more of our homes which have not been flooded probably will be in the future. Who will pay for the damage? Kirklees Planning or the developers?
Losing the garage space, together with more homes being built, will create more parking problems for residents.
Should planning permission be given then heavy machinery going to the site will cause not only traffic problems to the residents but would be dangerous to children who play on the open plan recreation/play area adjacent to Orchard Terrace.
Heavy machinery could cause ‘shock waves’ to the foundations of existing homes as the ground is unstable due to the former mining.
There are plenty of ‘brown areas’ for building – and your ‘green area’ could be next at risk.
Mrs Pamela Haigh
Huddersfield
