A LARGE housing estate will go ahead in Mirfield.
Some 230 homes will be built on the Butt End Mills site in Lower Hopton.
The plan was at first thrown out by Kirklees councillors.
But that decision was overturned by the Government after an appeal by Clough House Development.
Mirfield Mayor Clr Martyn Bolt said he was hugely disappointed the plans had been approved, but admitted there was nothing he or Kirklees could have done.
He added: "Kirklees turned the original plans down in 2001 for a number of reasons.
"Only recently, new evidence has been presented that shows the proposed entrance to the site has flooded in the past.
"However, now the decision has been made and there is nothing we can do about it.
"I have received a number of e-mails asking how Kirklees could let this happen - but it was out of the council's hands."
However, Clr Bolt was pleased the site entrance has been changed from Woodend Road, which he says would have endangered children at Hopton School.
He said: "I am relieved Woodend Road will not be used, but I am still convinced the added traffic while the houses are being built will cause chaos.
"And, of course, once all the people move in we are going to have even more traffic in and around Mirfield, which is already congested.
"Kirklees say they have no plans to alter traffic lights or anything like that in the town centre and people are worried there will be even longer queues."
In his report for the Deputy Prime Minister's Office, division officer Peter Bates said: "The Secretary of State considers the provision of housing at the density of about 41 dwellings per hectare would make efficient use of the land.
"There was no disagreement at the inquiry that there is a shortfall in the housing supply within Kirklees and the Secretary of State notes that there is also a shortfall in meeting the target of 65% of new housing developments to be built on previously developed land.
"He considers the proposal could help address both of these shortfalls and places significant weight on this."
