A FORMER mill will be redeveloped – 13 years after it closed.

Planners yesterday gave permission for 24 new homes on the Thirstin Mills site in Honley.

The mill closed in 1998 and two years later developer NEP Honley won outline permission to build 29 detached homes on the site.

NEP began some landscaping and preparation work, including demolishing the mill and building the foundations for one home.

But the £10.5m plan was shelved in 2008 when the Grange Moor company went into receivership with lenders HBOS.

The land, which is inside Honley Conservation Area, was then sold to HSBC. Residents complained the site was an eyesore and was being used by drug addicts and fly-tippers.

Greetland-based North Park Homes then asked Kirklees for permission to build 24 homes on the land.

Residents criticised the council’s handling of the site at yesterday’s meeting at Huddersfield Town Hall.

Richard Slade of Thirstin Road told councillors: “We’re concerned that the history of incompetence and poor administration will not be repeated.

“We want a named individual from the council to liaise with us if there are any problems.”

Fellow Thirstin Road resident Charles Greaves asked councillors to impose a condition on the development.

“Residents may put gates in which would encourage on-street parking,” he said.

“Imposing this condition is vital to maintaining the flow of traffic.”

Robert Halstead spoke for the developer at yesterday’s meeting of the council’s Huddersfield Planning Sub-committee.

“This site has a long history and a bad history,” he said. “The applicant has worked very hard to provide all the information that’s required.”

But Mr Halstead asked councillors not to add to the restrictions already suggested by Kirklees officers.

“The more conditions you heap on us, the more difficult it is for us to lawfully start,” he said.

“This is a particularly difficult brownfield site.”

Holme Valley North independent Clr Terry Lyons described the development as a “win-win-win”.

He added: “I would be prepared to trust the developer on this one and I’m in full support of the planning application.”

Holme Valley South Conservative Clr Ken Sims also spoke in favour of the development.

“This has been a long-running saga and the site was left in a terrible state,” he said.

“I would be happy to give approval.”

The sub-committee voted unanimously in favour of the plan – without imposing any conditions about gates.

The new development will include a mix of detached, semi-detached and terraced homes.

Eleven of the houses will have three bedrooms and the other 14 will be four-bedroom.

The new development will have 63 parking spaces for residents and seven for visitors.

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