Tories opposed to a massive housing plan driven by the ruling Labour group on Kirklees Council say the “huge loss” of green belt land is “unjustified.”
And they have expressed disappointment that a planning inspector has seen fit to largely back the Local Plan, albeit with modifications.
They include removing part of a site at Cooper Bridge near Mirfield, bordering the site of Robin Hood’s grave, along with a parcel of land at Clayton West.
However, Ravensthorpe will gain 4,000 homes. There will also be 1,500 in Chidswell in Dewsbury and a further 1,500 on land at Bradley Park Golf Club in Huddersfield. It means the club’s 18-hole course will be reduced by half.
In total more than 30,000 homes are planned across the borough.
Supporters say the contentious scheme will actually preserve green areas from uncontrolled development.
In a letter to Kirklees Council, Katie Childs, an inspector with the Planning Inspectorate, said the authority’s plan “is likely to be capable of being found legally compliant and sound” but that “a number of further main modifications are necessary.”
But while opposition Conservatives have welcomed her modifications “as a dose of common sense to the plan as proposed by the Labour cabinet,” they say they have not gone far enough.
And in highlighting what he believes to be a lack of planned infrastructure to support the scheme, Tory group leader Clr David Hall said the council must pre-empt some of the effects of its over-development by addressing what he called “the shortage of school places, crumbling road networks, congestion, air pollution and poor public transport.”
He added: “We believe the consequent huge loss of green belt land is unjustified and are disappointed that the inspector did not further reduce this demand on our green fields.
“Reductions in the number of houses at some sites and deletion of other sites, will be a relief to those communities affected. The over-supply of industrial land has been addressed with the deletion of the vast part of the Cooper Bridge site, recognised as a heritage asset, tearing the heart out of Labour’s plan.
“There will be many communities, however, who will not be celebrating. While we welcome the modifications to the plan as recommended by the inspector, it is still of utmost concern to us that the housing numbers remain so high at over 30,000.
“We will continue to support residents who will be worst affected.”
Labour’s Clr Peter McBride, Cabinet member for Economy, said the inspector’s response reflected the sound nature of the scheme’s strategic planning.
“I am disappointed that part of the Cooper Bridge allocation has been proposed to be deleted from the plan, but her view was that we have enough adequate employment land elsewhere.
“These strategic employment sites are crucial to delivering our economic ambitions for the district. We are pleased with the progress made. The important thing now is that we deliver.”
The council intends to carry out public consultation on the changes to the Local Plan in August and September.
