OBJECTORS are mounting a legal challenge into a council’s decision to approve a new fire station in Rastrick.

They are lodging a formal complaint to Calderdale Council about the process and last-minute changes at the planning hearing.

And they’re mounting a judicial review, a legal challenge through the courts, to get the decision overturned.

The fire service hasn’t yet bought the land, but will start work this summer.

David Collins, who lives near to the site of the new fire station at Clough Lane, said: “We have taken advice and believe we will have no difficulty in doing this and succeeding.”

The public hearing for a new fire station in Rastrick was delayed twice at the last minute – on December 4 it was delayed because the council had not advertised it as affecting a public right of way. On January 4 it was deferred for the second time because the noise survey was incomplete.

It finally went ahead on Tuesday and objectors raised concerns that the application breached planning policy, including development in the greenfield area, which has protected land status.

There was also confusion about who was allowed to speak at the meeting and how long they would be permitted to lodge their opposition.

David Collins and Nick Midgley say that at the second adjourned hearings they were told they could both make representations.

But before the start of this week’s hearing they were told that only one could speak. After clarifying it with the chairman, Clr Steve Sweeney, they were both allowed to speak, but one had four minutes and one had three minutes.

Mr Collins said: “I had my time to address the committee cut from five to three minutes by the chairman despite being told I could have the full five minutes at the previous meeting where the application was deferred.

“A local architect who wished to speak and who was told he had four minutes at the previous meeting had his time cut to three minutes.

“The fire service representative had his time increased to six minutes.

“This happened three minutes before the meeting so I was not able to bring to the committee’s attention key aspects of the application which contravened many council planning policies.”

Calderdale Council says that only one person is allowed to speak for the objectors, but it is open to the Chair to allow any more parties to speak to enable further points to be raised.

A fire service spokeswoman said: “Calderdale Council has approved planning permission, which we will act upon. “We aim to begin a 12-month building programme on site this summer/autumn subject to land purchase.”

The Examiner asked Calderdale Council about Mr Collins’ concerns about the planning meeting and pending legal challenge. No-one replied.