Approval for ‘superb’ housing development

A HOUSING scheme in Shepley described as “a superb project” has been unanimously approved.

Yorkshire Country Properties have been given the go-ahead to build 52 homes on 4.7 acres of fields off Abbey Road North at Shepley on the outskirts of Huddersfield.

There are to be ten one-bed terrace houses, a two-bed bungalow, 13 three-bed semi-detached/ terraces, 8 three-bed detached homes, 16 fourbed detached houses and four five-bed detached dwelling houses. The majority will be two storeys in height, some with attic rooms.

To the south eastern corner of the site will be seven two/three-storey split-level homes.

Of the 52 homes destined for the sloping site, ten are set to be affordable social housing.

Builder Stewart Brown described the plan as “a superb project” that would deliver “muchneeded community housing”.

The development, which includes a £64,537 education contribution towards Kirkburton Middle School, received the unanimous backing of Kirklees Council’s Strategic Planning Committee last month.

It is the latest housing allocation to be passed by the authority and forms part of Kirklees Council’s Local Plan, which will see tens of thousands of new homes built in the borough.

An order from the Government, the Local Plan includes 31,000 homes, many of which will have to be built within the green belt, as there is insufficient non-green belt land in the borough.

It equates to building 1,730 homes per annum in the borough.

The council has confirmed that its building quota has not been reduced as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.