Blackley residents oppose former brickworks's housing plan

BLACKLEY residents have vowed to fight a housing plan for the village’s former brickworks.

They met Blackley Cricket Club to discuss the proposal by the Metnor Group to apply for planning permission to build 120 houses on the derelict brickworks site.

And the consensus was the plan should be opposed.

Residents spoke of their concerns that the hamlet of 28 houses situated in the green belt would be swallowed up by the proposed housing.

There were also concerns about the harmful impact on green belt land and the character of the area and the effect on the wildlife.

Concerns over light pollution, noise pollution, increased traffic problems, surface water and drainage were expressed.

A number of residents voted for the brickworks to be returned to industrial use, but all agreed that they would consider other more appropriate options than the one proposed.

The group agreed that at this stage they would continue to lobby local councillors and Calder Valley MP Craig Whittaker about their concerns.

A group spokesman said: “Blackley is a lovely hamlet of 28 stone-built houses in a beautiful area of green belt and the development that has been proposed is so out of keeping with everything in the area that it will have a huge harmful impact on the character of Blackley and the surrounding green belt area.’’