PLANS to develop a business park on fields in Clifton could take years and cost thousands of pounds.
There are concerns that fields dubbed Clifton Common at Brighouse could be turned into a business park.
Landowners Wharfedale Finance want to build a business park on part of the land near to the Holiday Inn on Wakefield Road.
Residents have had concerns after the first plans went on show in October 2008.
But Brighouse councillors have just received a letter from the landowners detailing plans for a new scheme covering half of the site.
Clr Colin Stout said: “A lot of things need to be looked at before they can consider putting a planning application in, which will cost them.
“I can’t understand why they’re wanting to build on only half of the site, if you break into a site and only build on half of it, what’s the plan for the other half?
“In this current climate, I can’t understand why they’re wanting to build, especially when we’ve got empty units in the town already.”
The proposal has been dormant since 2008, when the plans first went on show for a proposed business park on the site which is close to junction 25 of the M62.
“With the cost of looking into building on the site, the environmental surveys and the section 106 agreement, which is where the developer puts something back into the community – all of that could be tens of thousands of pounds,” Clr Stout added.
“Realistically, we could be talking years before we see anything happening there.”
Last year Clifton residents were invited to contribute to a village design statement before changes are made.
It was agreed after a failed Conservation Area bid but Calderdale Council wanted to create a statement to give residents more of a say on what happens in their area.
Clr Stout believes this will help them in fighting any future plans, adding: “People in Clifton obviously want to keep the fields as they are – we’ll keep looking at what happens over the coming months on this one.”
Wharfedale Finance are seeking the views of residents and say a planning application is being finalised before anything is submitted soon to the council.
Land at Bracken Road, Brighouse, where a care home was due to be built, is for sale.
DC Care have permission for a four-storey 60 bed care home. But the 1.81 acre land is for sale in the region of £750,000.
It is not known if the site would be sold for other use. The Examiner asked for details from the agent but they failed to respond.
