LINDLEY MOOR residents are once more fearing for the future of the moorland beauty spot.

Land surveyors were spotted at work last week and yesterday, and traffic surveyors were on the junction of adjacent Weather Hill Road and Cowrakes Road last week.

Neighbours fear the site, enclosed by Lindley Moor Road, Weatherhill Road, Cowrakes Road and Crosland Road, has been earmarked for a housing development.

The site holds ‘greenfield’ status, as opposed to ‘green belt’ status, and may be built upon.

Lindley Moor was last picked for a housing development in 1998 as part of the Unitary Development Plan (UDP), but residents objected to proposals to build 369 homes and the plan was dropped.

Kirklees Council planners last month approved a £200m data campus on an adjacent piece of land despite protests from residents who want to protect the open space.

Developer Stirling Scotfield said it would create about 150 jobs directly – with about 2,000 employed during construction.

So far no plans for a housing development on the neighbouring site have been announced.

But Lindley Moor Action Group (LMAG) – comprised of neighbours to the land – fear hundreds of new homes could be built on the popular beauty spot.

Geoff Wood from LMAG said: “I believe again it’s a done deal. They say one thing and do another. They surveyed the road and the field and things are going forward at quite a quick pace. The council is pushing forward to develop greenfield sites when other sites could be developed – for example brownfield sites.”