IT IS a change of heart which will be welcomed by many.

Kirklees Council had decided initially not to allow residents to speak at a key meeting on what has been one of the most contentious issues in recent times.

When councillors meet at Huddersfield Town Hall on November 23 to discuss and vote on the Local Development Framework, they will in effect be shaping the blueprint for the town’s future.

The initial council stance was to ban residents from speaking at the event. Officers concerns it seems were more to do with time-tabling than having an open and inclusive debate.

Now that view has changed with councillors agreeing that residents will be able to contribute to the discussion on that day.

What is crucial is that those who have concerns about the plans in their current form must get their opinions and their alternative proposals before the public to enable as informed and constructive a debate as possible to take place.

The LDF proposals have come under fire from many areas across Kirklees. Those who opposed the plan have helped win this change of heart and must take advantage of it.

It is vital that those four hours on November 23 are devoted to a rigorous examination of all the options and that as many as possible get to voice their opinions. Only then will the wider public begin to feel comfortable with how councillors see our town shaping up to the future.