Councillors backed plans to sell off small plots of land for housing.
Kirklees Cabinet members gave the go-ahead for 21 sites to be sold in a bid to boost the amount of land available for housing and net the authority up to £735,000.
But they face opposition – Kirklees is waiting to hear back from the Land Registry over the ownership of a Batley Carr site, while there is a pending ‘maladministration’ allegation against the council over the Cliffe Road, Shepley site.
Both sites remain on the disposal list but the final sell-off decision rests on the outcome of the legal issues.
Clr Graham Turner, Cabinet member for Resources, said selling the sites would bring in cash to be invested in vital services, help housebuilding and stimulate the economy.
He said: “We have to look at all our sites. The Batley Carr site is one we no longer use. We’re still waiting for the titles, until we get that we can’t do anything but if we do get it, then it will feature on the small sites programme.”
Council leader, Clr David Sheard, added: “This is not just about income, we recognise that lots of small builders can’t get sites to build on, they are snapped up by national developers.”
On the Shepley site, Clr John Taylor, Kirkburton Conservative, told Cabinet the field is known as ‘sledging field’ and has been used as generations during winter for family sledging fun.
He said: “I applause and support the intent to find small pieces of land but this is not going to be easy to develop.
“This particular site is currently within leisure services, it is not there for economic benefit it is there for the health and wellbeing of residents.”
He spoke of issues with the sharp bend, steep site and car parking, but he was told that would be addressed at the planning stage, once the pending legal discussions after a complaint of maladministration had been completed.
Cabinet members approved the disposal list with the individual plots able to provide a total of 250 houses.
The plots of land are: Church Lane, Birstall; Cliffewood Rise, Clayton West; North Road, Ravensthorpe; Battye Street, Dewsbury; North and south of Leak Hall Crescent, Denby Dale; Brewerton Lane, Staincliffe; Manchester Road, Slaithwaite; four sites in Batley: Holland Street, Upper Road, Norfolk Street and Naylor Street; three sites in Newsome: Elm Street, Manor Street and Moss Street; two sites in Heckmondwike: Upper George Street and Brighton Street; Oastler Street in Dewsbury; Cliffe Road, Shepley and Halifax Road Liversedge.
