Lockdown is an excuse to push through plans
Miriam Margolyes (pictured), actress, 79; Nobby Stiles, former footballer, 78; Rick Wakeman (pictured), rock musician, 71; Chow Yun-Fat, actor, 65; Toyah Willcox, singer/actress, 62; Holly Aird, actress, 51; Martika, singer and actress, 51; Tina Fey, actress/comedian/writer, 50; Danny Mills, ex-footballer, 43.
HOW right the critics are who say Kirklees Council are using the Covid-19 lockdown to push through contentious planning applications May 14).
Tony Earnshaw’s excellent article highlighted major developments in North Kirklees, Mirfield and Dewsbury, which are being decided upon by officers as no planning committees are currently meeting.
We have the same situation here in Netherthong, a village on the outskirts of Holmfirth (for the benefit of planning officers) which has been tortured and destroyed by unecessary recent development and the associated heavy construction traffic thundering through our narrow lanes (pavements in the village are few and far between).
Now, the council are trying to railroad through a further planning application for a development on another of our green spaces, to the west of Wesley Avenue (application No 2020/91146), which they appreciate is contentious on all sorts of levels – unsuitable and disputed access, highways safety, potential massive increase in traffic, lack of infrastructure, environmental damage, the school being full etc, etc.
The council are well aware of all these factors and also that by allowing the application to be submitted now, villagers have no opportunity to meet and discuss serious issues which will, if this application simply skates through without proper investigation, have a massive impact on their lives in coming years.
A site visit by councillors is absolutely essential in the case of this latest application for Netherthong, so our elected representatives can see for themselves the unsuitability, but will one be organised in the current crisis? I suspect not given social distancing measures, no doubt to the delight of those seeking to push this application through.
When Kirklees was emailed asking for information about the roads around this site, when it became clear the land had been sold, apart from the standard automated reply, nothing was heard for over a month. When a progress report was then asked for, the information suddenly apeared within 24 hours.
Classic delaying tactic? Makes you wonder.
According to the Kirklees planning website, the application was received on April 15, validated on the same day – no delays there then – and put out for public consultation just six days later, with a cut-off date of May 27.
This is an unsavoury and unpalatable rush at a time when people’s lives have been turned upside down by a global pandemic.
Also, according to the application submitted by Alistair Flatman Planning of Leeds, the case officer dealing with it is a Kate Mansell, who appears to be the chief planning officer of Leeds City Council.
What is going on?