RESIDENTS can have their say on plans for thousands of new homes from Monday.
Councillors last night agreed to begin consultation on a plan to build 28,000 new homes by 2028.
Kirklees Council officers have drawn up the Local Development Framework (LDF) proposal, which would see some villages grow significantly in the next 18 years.
Kirkburton would have 43.1% more homes by 2028, Holmfirth would grow by a quarter and Skelmanthorpe would see a rise of 27.7%.
House numbers would rise by more than a fifth in Slaithwaite, Denby Dale; Scissett and Clayton West; Linthwaite and Dewsbury.
The council’s Labour Cabinet last night agreed to launch a two-month consultation on the LDF.
Kirklees deputy leader Clr Ken Smith said the district needed more homes.
The Ashbrow Labour man said: “There are more people living alone and more people living for a long time after their spouse dies.
“We need a basis for a strategic view of where this development could take place.”
Clr Kath Pinnock, who leads the opposition Lib Dems on Kirklees, also spoke in favour of the consultation at last night’s cabinet meeting at Huddersfield Town Hall.
The Cleckheaton councillor said: “I hope this consultation will listen to the loud voices and the quiet voices.
“It’s not necessarily those who shout the loudest who will have the biggest impact.
“This is people’s chance to say what kind of a place they wish to live in and I hope there’s a measured response and not just a lot of concerns about small areas which people want to keep as they are.”
The plan will be discussed at town and valley committee meetings in the next two months.
Dewsbury Tory MP Simon Reevell said: “We need new homes. Everybody is in agreement about that. People are living longer and there are more people living on their own. Nobody is suggesting that Kirklees should stand still.
“But we need to be careful about where we put them. We need to look at the infrastructure of these villages and ensure that they can cope with the new developments. That’s why this consultation is so important. It needs to be a proper consultation which accurately reflects people’s views.”
The public consultation will run from Monday until February 6.
The 159-page LDF proposal will be available to read at:
Civic Centre III
Marsden Library
Holmfirth Information Point
Skelmanthorpe Council Offices
Meltham Town Hall
Mirfield Library
Dewsbury Town Hall
Batley Town Hall
Birstall Information Point
Heckmondwike Library
Cleckheaton Town Hall
There will also be a special LDF consultation section on the Kirklees website.
