The building of 200 homes on the former St Luke’s Hospital site at Crosland Moor could begin by the end of this year.

Developer Henry Boot says the plan is ‘progressing well’ and it is in discussions with a building firm and says it will be a major regeneration scheme for the area.

Outline planning permission for up to 200 new homes, a supermarket and small neighbourhood centre, shops, a restaurant or pub, and petrol station was given the green light in March 2015 – but then nothing seems to have happened.

The site, formerly owned by Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust which runs Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, was mothballed in 2011.

Huddersfield has now been waiting six years for the site to return to active use.

Henry Boot director Vivienne Clements said the Sheffield-based developer was sorting through details of the plan.

Ms Clements said: “We are in discussion with a housebuilder.

“We have had outline planning consent and are sorting through some details to work with a deliverable scheme.

“It’s progressing well and we hope to start on the site later this year.”

Vivienne Clements, Director of Henry Boot Developments

Ms Clements said the development would comprise houses with up to four bedrooms.

The plan includes provision for affordable homes although it is not known how many will be built.

Ms Clements said: “There will be a range of quality properties. We are looking at dwellings with up to four bedrooms.

“Outline planning permission allows for the provision of affordable homes.”

She added: “It’s a major regeneration scheme for the area. It’s an area that could do with some investment.”

The former St Luke's Hospital site at Crosland Moor
The former St Luke's Hospital site at Crosland Moor

In 2015 Kirklees Council negotiated large contributions towards community infrastructure on the site totalling more than £800,000.

The developers agreed to pay £200,000 towards improvements to the clogged up Lockwood Bar junction.

A further £462,000 is believed to have gone towards Huddersfield’s biggest primary school, Oak Academy at Crosland Moor.

The 840-pupil school was created from the merger of Thornton Lodge Nursery School, Dryclough Infant School and Crosland Moor Junior School.

A second 630 pupil primary school is being built by the council in the grounds of Moor End Academy.

The old St Luke’s Hospital buildings have now been demolished and the plot is one of the biggest ‘brown field’ sites in Kirklees.

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Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust took out a £2m loan to allow for pre-development work and the trust hopes to cash in on the increased value of the land now it has planning consent.

It is thought the work will cost close to £16m but sales from homes will exceed £25m.