HOLME Valley Mountain Rescue Team could be moving to Meltham.

The team are working with Meltham Town Council on plans to build a headquarters Robert Ashton Memorial Park, with room for garaging vehicles, a training area and meeting area.

Meltham Town Council has said the team can have unused allotment land – but there are still planning loopholes to negotiate.

Kirklees Council planners have told the team they must have written permission to use the land from Meltham Town Council.

Planning rules also mean allotments cannot be built on unless alternative allotment land is provided. The park is also classed as urban greenspace, which has planning restrictions in place.

Meltham Town Council will meet on December 8 at Meltham Town Hall from 7pm to discuss the planning problems.

The mountain rescue team used to be based at the park, until Meltham Town Council sold off the park buildings several years ago.

Since then, the team has been based in part of Marsden fire station.

But they want a purpose-built facility, which it better located to help them cover both the Holme and Colne Valleys, as well as other parts of West Yorkshire.

Martin Burrie, team secretary, said: “We have been working towards getting our own base for three years.

“The benefit would be that it would be purpose built and Meltham is in the middle of our coverage area.”