HOUSING will be built on LIndley Moor.
A controversial plan for almost 300 homes got the go-ahead – but only after a three-hour, heated planning meeting.
And it was passed by only one vote, with an 8-7 decision in favour of the Miller Homes application.
Lindley residents were left outraged after Kirklees Council’s planning sub-committee approved plans for the 294 homes to be built.
During the meeting, residents, ward councillors and some members of the committee insisted that the new proposal would prove problematic in terms of the development’s design, highways, education and air quality.
Objectors also said that the funding options outlined by the developers are not sufficient to provide the correct infrastructure in terms of highways and education in the area.
The plan for the homes to be built on land off Cowrakes Road and Weatherhill Road originally came before the committee in August and was rejected.
But council officers voiced concern over a likely appeal and it was brought back to the committee.
Officers claimed it could leave the council facing a huge bill if it went to appeal.
Local resident Jill Sykes referred to the proposed site at Lindley Moor Road and Crosland Road as “an accident blackspot” while Andy Wood said that the allocation for highways proposed by the developer was “inaccurate”.
Resident Ellen Gunshore has concerns about schooling.
She said: “Should these plans go ahead we must be able to provide enough places for each child.
“With a further 294 homes then the only available solution seems not to build a data centre next to the houses but a school.”
Further objections came from Clr Nicola Turner, Clr Cahal Burke and members of Lindley Moor Action group.
Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney said that the committee should not consider the financial implications of rejecting the proposal but “should make the right vote”.
Clr Peter McBride spoke in favour of the application. He said the reverberations could cause Kirklees Council to be “scarred with being a maverick in dealing with planning applications”.
David Rollinson spoke on behalf of Miller Homes, the firm behind the application.
He said: “It’s a £50 million investment, with the development of homes and jobs, offset with highways benefits.”
Following the objections and speeches given by the public, Clr Ann Denham who was sitting as a substitute on the committee said: “There is one item that I feel we should take seriously and that is education.
“People wanting to live in these houses will want their children to go to local schools, the local school is Lindley.
“We are not being real, we will not be able to provide the education in the area and this is a plain reason for refusal.”
But Clr Molly Walton favoured the plans, and said the new meeting had been arranged because the previous one was at the end of the day and it wasn’t fair on the developer to force the sub-committee to reach a decision within five minutes.
Clr Ken Sims proposed a motion to refuse the plans but all Labour councillors voted for the plans with Lib Dem Clr Linda Wilkinson also on board.
Following the meeting Clr Cahal Burke said: “It’s hard to digest everything that has happened.
“There was a focus on money and on implications of an appeal before one had even gone ahead.
“We will have to take some time to take a practical view on all that has happened as people are very upset and take some time to consider the next stage.”
