A government minister has ruled out making a decision on a Mirfield housing bid.
A request was made for the Secretary of State to ‘call in’ and review a decision made by councillors on the Heavy Woollen Planning Committee to approve 32 houses on land at Kitson Hill Road in Mirfield.
Objectors had wanted the planning minister to make a final ruling, unhappy that Kirklees councillors had given it the go-ahead.
But in the letter from Ray Colbourne, a Senior Planning Casework Manager at the Department for Communities and Local Government, Kirklees Council has been informed that the decision on the application should be with them.
The letter states: “The Secretary of State has carefully considered this case against call-in policy.
“The Government is committed to give more power to councils and communities to make their own decisions on planning issues and believes planning decisions should be made at the local level wherever possible.
“The Secretary of State has decided not to call in this application. He is content that it should be determined by the local planning authority.”
Campaigners against the housing bid by Ben Bailey Homes has said the go-ahead by councillors would set a “dangerous precedent” as the space between new and existing housing was less than council policy suggests.
More than 600 residents had submitted objections to the plans but councillors gave approval, delegating final authority to planning officers to permit.
