Controversial taxi office plans in two parts of Huddersfield go in front of planners

RESIDENTS are fighting plans to set up two taxi offices in Huddersfield.

Planners will decide today whether to allow cab companies to establish bases in Dalton and Primrose Hill.

Tariq Saleem has asked Kirklees Council for permission to set up a taxi office on Wakefield Road in Dalton.

Three people would be employed at the office.

Taxis would park on nearby land at the corner of Wakefield Road and Dalton Green Lane. Cabs would also use two spaces at The Stag pub across the road.

Some 264 residents have signed a petition against the plan and 14 people have written to Kirklees opposing the proposal.

Their objections include:

The plan would increase traffic congestion

The proposal does not include enough parking spaces for taxis

Residents would be disturbed by noise.

Dalton Labour man Clr Peter McBride has also written to Kirklees to oppose the plan.

The council’s Huddersfield Planning Sub-committee will rule on the proposal at its monthly meeting at Huddersfield Town Hall at 1pm this afternoon.

Councillors will also rule on a plan to set up a taxi office at Primrose Hill.

Hardeep Singh has asked Kirklees for permission to establish a booking office in the back room of Piphill Stores on Primrose Hill Road.

He wants to operate a 24-hour booking office in the 30sq metre room behind the shop.

One employee would work in the office, directing three cars.

Mr Singh has told planners that the office would not be open to the public, there would be no off-street parking and taxis would not pick-up from outside the office.

Some 216 people have signed a petition supporting the taxi office, while 47 people have signed a petition against the proposal.

Newsome Green Clr Julie Stewart-Turner has written to Kirklees opposing the plan.

She wrote: “We already receive complaints about congestion on the roads closest to the proposed taxi booking office and one of the causes of that is parked taxis.

“This is a residential area and the movement of taxis and their customers 24 hours a day is likely to add to the noise levels, which is unacceptable.”