Protesters’ campaign gets rethink on housing scheme

CAMPAIGNERS WHO threatened a legal challenge over a controversial housing scheme have succeeded in having it reconsidered by councillors.

But they are concerned that despite coming up with new evidence and being given assurances of an open and transparent process, Kirklees councillors will simply rubber stamp the plan to create homes on an ancient flood plain in Mirfield.

Wakefield- based Miller Homes wants to build 67 homes on meadowland off Granny Lane at Hopton Bottom. The land, allocated for housing as part of the council’s controversial Local Plan, is close to the River Calder and regularly floods.

In December 2019, members of the authority’s Strategic Planning Committee voted in favour of the development. Campaigners criticised the decision and argued that key evidence had been disregarded, which allowed the plan to be pre- determined.

Now, after taking advice from a litigation lawyer and threatening to take the case to Judicial Review if it was not reconsidered, they will make a renewed attempt on October 14 to persuade the committee to dismiss the scheme.

Cheryl Tyler, speaking on behalf of campaign groups Granny Lane Area Action Group and Save Mirfield, said: “We have been told that it will be going back with a recommendation for approval, which is unsurprising.

“My fear is that this may be seen and projected by the planning department as a simple rubber stamping exercise.”

The council said it always listened to the concerns of local people. Kirklees had been badly hit by flooding twice since the plans were originally approved.

It said that with those points in mind, it had referred the plans back to the committee so it could assess all the issues in an open and transparent way.