COUNCILLORS and residents are celebrating victory in a battle over a controversial planning application.
Developers have withdrawn proposals for a housing development on greenfield land off Leymoor Road, Golcar, after a flood of objections.
Golcar councillor Bob Iredale said: "We're absolutely ecstatic. This development would have been totally out of character with the area and we had an enormous response from residents who were universally against it. People were absolutely furious.
"The message to developers that this sends out is: `Hands off our green spaces.'
"We will continue to defend all our greenfield sites in Golcar."
The Richard Ryder Partnership had applied to Kirklees Council to build 24 houses and 26 apartments on the plot.
The site had been earmarked for potential development in the council's unitary development plan.
But councillors and residents said the proposals were out of keeping with surrounding properties, some of which are listed, and would deprive the village of an important green space.
They also claimed Golcar did not have the infrastructure, including roads and schools, to support the development.
But councillors are steeling themselves for a possible future fight, because they believe they may not have seen the last of the plan.
Clr Andrew Marchington said: "We are very pleased with the decision to withdraw the plan, but we need to be vigilant and keep an eye on any future attempts to build on greenfield land.
"At the moment developers should not be putting in applications for greenfield land – it's a waste of their time and money and only succeeds in upsetting people unnecessarily."
The Examiner was unable to contact the Richard Ryder Partnership for a comment.
