Residents’ traffic fears over new homes plan

PLANS to build 16 new homes have been slammed as a ‘threat to life’ as more than 20 objections have been made.

An application has been put forward by Orion Homes Ltd to construct the homes on agricultural land off Bankfield Drive, Holmbridge in Holmfirth.

The site is earmarked for housing in Kirklees Council’s local plan and is accessible via Laithe Avenue.

Previously, an application was submitted to bring 25 homes to the same site but this was reduced following discussions with council officers.

Several other revisions have been made since the earlier application including providing five car parking spaces for visitors and making all the homes two storeys.

Also, two car parking spaces will be given to three-bedroom homes and three spaces to four and fivebedroom properties.

Of the 16, ten homes will have three bedrooms, five will have four bedrooms and one will have five bedrooms. In line with the council’s policy, 20% of the homes on site should be affordable. However, in some cases, the council accepts a financial contribution instead which is what the developer hopes to agree.

Over 20 objectors echo many of the same concerns including those around highways and the safety of pedestrians.

One objection says: “The local roads to Holmbridge are already congested, they are steep, remain ungritted in winter and access is often difficult - there are no pavements on many surrounding roads and it is already unsafe for school children and anyone walking due to the number of vehicles.

“This will obviously worsen with the number of cars that will be attached to such properties. Other infrastructures such as access to broadband and public transport the small local school, the drainage and water supply are all stretched and limited so addition of further properties without consideration of this will put further strain on the local area. There is also the loss of yet another green space”

Another describes the ‘inevitable’ traffic increase as a “threat to life” and says: “Some of these roads do not have footpaths and both roads giving egress to the site and surrounding estate are steep, and in winter, are not salt or sanded and there are life-threatening drops into the mill yard at the bottom of both roads. There is a history of cars sliding on these roads and colliding with the wall protecting this drop.”

Addressing highways in its documentation, the applicant says the development is: “not expected to give rise to any highway capacity or safety issues with the submitted Transport Statement estimating only eight two-way movements in the peak hours (equating to one every seven minutes). This modest trip generation will have no material adverse impact on the existing highway network.”

It will be down to the council to consider the objections and the applicant’s documentation to determine the outcome of the application.

A target date for a decision has been set at July 21 this year.