A developer is set to find out if it can build homes at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s headquarters in Kirklees.

A plan to demolish half of the Birkenshaw HQ to make way for 30 homes has been pending for almost five years.

It is thought fire chiefs could net £2m from the sale, which they have promised to invest in services.

Kirklees Council’s Heavy Woollen Planning Sub-Committee is set to decide on the proposal next Friday.

Rouse Homes already has permission in principle but the committee is due to look at the details of the layout and design of the scheme.

They have been advised by planning officers to give it the green light despite the site being close to one of the most polluted roads in West Yorkshire.

The proposed site for 30 new homes at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service headquarters in Birkenshaw

It was revealed in 2017 that the A58 Whitehall Road at Birkenshaw adjacent to the fire service building was one of seven spots in the borough where nitrogen dioxide (NO2) limits were being breached.

The roundabout is one of the busiest and most congested in West Yorkshire.

Last year amid an announcement that diesel and petrol cars and vans would be banned by 2040, the government said if the council failed to improve air quality at its dirtiest roads it would be forced to introduce a “toxin tax”.

It said the A58 into Leeds was on a list of shame of the 81 filthiest roads in Britain that must be improved.

Despite this, the planning application reports by Kirklees Council make no mention of the air quality concerns.

Birkenshaw and Birstall Tory, Clr Liz Smaje has raised concerns with planning officials.

An air quality management report submitted by developer Rouse Homes claims there will be a “negligible” air quality impact from the 50 or 60 additonal vehicles linked with the new build estate.

Kirklees Council Conservative member Liz Smaje.

It says traffic issues can be mitigated by encouraging people to take public transport or to walk.

Rouse Homes will be asked to provide Kirklees with two ‘Affordable Homes’ for social housing and it will have to cough up about £230,000 in contributions for improvements to local roads and schools.

Plans show it hopes to build 19 detached, eight semi-detached and three terraced homes on land to the rear of the main fire HQ buildings.

Access will be from the A651 Bradford Road.

Any potential residents have been promised that smoke from fire fighting training drills will not drift into their homes.

Rouse has permission to demolish a two-storey building which handled emergency calls for 40 years until its move to Leeds in 2014.

In addition a number of former houses that were converted into offices in the 1980s but have stood empty since 2013, will need to go to make way for the development.