Engineering firm Cummins has confirmed they are in talks about a site in Lindley Moor.
Speculation has been mounting that the top Huddersfield company has been interested in land off Lindley Moor Road.
The land forms part of the portfolio of Stirling Scotfield, who secured consent for a data campus which has never been built.
A Cummins Turbo Technologies spokesman confirmed to the Examiner: “Cummins has held discussions with Stirling Scotfield LLP regarding a site they represent at Lindley Moor.
“Stirling Scotfield are in discussion with Kirklees Council with regard to a planning application for both industrial and residential use of this site.”
A spokesman for Stirling Scotfield said: “We can confirm that we are in the early stages of discussions with a international, Huddersfield-based employer to relocate them to our Lindley Moor site.”
But Cummins are not thought to be the only interested party for the site, with agents for others making recent approaches. However, nothing has proceeded to planning application stage.
Clr Mehboob Khan, council leader, said: “I welcome dialogue between Cummins and Stirling Scotfield to ensure that we keep jobs in Huddersfield for local residents.
“Myself, residents and businesses in this town would be very disappointed to lose from the town one of our major employers, particularly, an internationally acclaimed business which is one of the cornerstones of advanced manufacturing.”
Last October Cummins told the Examiner they were looking for a site to house a state-of-the art manufacturing plant.
The company, which employs about 1,000 people, was seeking a location within a 10-mile radius of its existing complex at St Andrew’s Road.
At the time they spoke of relocating manufacturing from St Andrew’s Road.
Stirling Scotfield secured planning consent in 2011 for a data campus and housing but that plan is no longer viable.
Last February they notified councillors they were working on a change of use application and were seeking feedback.
Clr Cahal Burke, ward member, opposed the data campus plans and said yesterday: “My concerns have always been the loss of our green fields and the negative impact any development would have on the local infrastructure.
“I will now wait for an application to be submitted and act accordingly in the best interests of residents and the local area.”
At Kirklees Cabinet on Tuesday Yelena Bedford, who said she was representing the Grimescar and Edgerton area, asked councillors how transparent the process was if talks were not taking place publicly.
Clr Peter McBride told her: “There are no decisions made behind closed doors and every process is completely open.”
Cummins Turbo Technologies, which celebrated its 60th anniversary last year, was established in the town in 1952 as Holset Engineering Co Ltd and quickly developed a reputation for engineering components for diesel engines.
The Lindley area has become a hotspot for development, with two housing developments currently being built off Lindley Moor Road and Weatherhill Road.
