After ten years of dereliction it’s time for action - the Lindley community agree.

The future of the Fieldhead site could soon be clear with Kirklees Council considering the outcome of bids for the site.

It is believed there are two community use bids and five residential use bids for the Grade II listed building and its surrounding site.

But the lack of action over the last decade has annoyed Lindley resident Kenn Winter, himself a former council officer in investment and regeneration.

“After a decade nothing has happened to this site, what is the council doing?” Mr Winter asked. “World War Two was over quicker than it’s taken Kirklees to do something with this site.”

Mr Winter was behind the regeneration of Tolson Grange in Dalton and he said the Lindley site offered the same opportunities for sheltered housing for older people.

“It’s a super site, it’s next to the church, shops and restaurants and Lindley needs affordable accommodation for older people.

“When I was studying town planning we learnt about disjointed incrementalism, they do a bit here and a bit there but it doesn’t get anywhere.

“Kirklees should hold an open competition, ask developers to come up with ideas for the site and pick the one that offer the best value for Lindley’s need.

“Kirklees could offer the land in order to leverage out the investment, doing that could generate £10-£15m investment for this site if they get it right.

“The land is worth a couple of million alone but what is really needed is the investment and that’s where housing associations come in.”

Marcus George is behind the Shape Lindley Group - one of the seven to register an interest.

His not-for-profit enterprise includes education, weddings, business conferences and community facilities.

He attended the recent Resources Scrutiny Panel where he was told that due to pre-election period he could not ask questions of councillors or officers.

He was, however, allowed to make a statement and urged councillors to consider “the community value as much as the financial value” of its assets.

Mr George later told us: “What we are asking for would be self-sustaining.”

Clr Cahal Burke, Lindley Lib Dem, added: “For years we’ve all just wanted something to be done with this site.

“It’s derelict and has become an eyesore, I think we’d all like to know what the intention is for it and be involved too.”

The Examiner asked Kirklees Council what its latest position was but they said there was nothing finalised to report.

At the Resources Scrutiny Panel last week, council leader Clr David Sheard, while not commenting on any individual case, said about the wider asset disposal strategy: “We are looking at creating an income from the disposal of assets, £27m in five years. With assets that are worth more than £1m obviously there’s the gain from selling it and from the community there is pressure to run it as a community facility, there’s a conflict there but we can’t keep every building.”

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