A plan to turn the former Storthes Hall hospital into huge retirement village is still stalling - after 12 years.
It had been hoped that work would soon be able to begin to turn the old hospital site into a 300 bungalow and residential care home after two planning applications were submitted in March.
But despite one of them being given approval by Kirklees Council, developer Younger Homes says it is no closer to putting a shovel in the ground.
This is because the team were told they still had to meet several requirements before building could commence.
This includes finalising security measures for the site, works access and safeguarding bio-diversity through measures such as provision of bat boxes and tree protection.
It has meant that the discharge of conditions for the scheme, also submitted in March, cannot be approved.
Younger Homes must also satisfy a condition of safe drainage to allow them to be approved.
The Storthes Hall Continuing Care Retirement Community, the group behind the overall project, first received approval for the scheme in 2004.
A library, medical centre, swimming pool, small shop, gym, arts and crafts area, bar, restaurant, workshop, village hall, indoor bowling carpet were amongst the facilities proposed, which would be available to bungalow and care home residents.
Terry Martin, Younger Homes’ project manager for the scheme, said they had been doing all they could to progress it.
"There are still a few conditions that had to be satisfied.
“We have been doing all we can but are a bit bogged down with them all.
“We may have got planning permission but we’re only half way there.
“There are three plans – one from 2012 and the two 2016 ones – that we are working from.
“Unfortunately, it now doesn’t look like we will be able to start groundwork this year even if we get full approval due to the possibility of bad weather.
“The earliest we could start now is next spring but we don’t know when we will.”
