A NEW bid to build almost 300 homes at Lindley Moor will be made this week.

And councillors will be urged to approve the scheme – or else Kirklees Council could be liable to a hugely-costly appeal process.

It is the second time the Miller Homes’ proposals for 294 houses on land off Cowrakes Road and Weatherhill Road has come before planners.

Last time, the scheme was rejected but a linked plan for a Data Centre was approved.

Now the application is back to be considered again and councillors have been told that none of their original grounds for refusal would stand the test of appeal.

That means there will be tremendous pressure on members of Huddersfield Planning Sub-committee on Thursday to approve the scheme.

The key objections to the plan last time around were:

l Transport concerns on roads in the area

l Shortage of places at local schools for more children

l The demand for local health services from 294 new families

l The effect on air quality.

But in a strongly-worded report to planning committee members, top council officials are urging that the application be approved.

The controversial development, along with that for the Data Centre plan, have attracted widespread criticism from local campaigners.

But the report says: “The reasons for refusal cannot be adequately substantiated.