Outline approval for 770 homes on former site of fireworks factory

THE SITE of a huge fireworks factory on the outskirts of Huddersfield has been given outline approval for housing.

Nearly 800 homes are set for 72 acres of land off Blackmoorfoot Road, in Crosland Moor.

Developers Empire Knight Group Ltd have put in an indicative layout for 770 homes – including 70 care apartments for the elderly – a doctor’s surgery and a shop on the home of Black Cat and Standard Fireworks.

However a final design will not be delivered for some time.

The 10-year building programme will be carried out in three phases. The first 200 houses are earmarked to be built by 2027, a further 280 by 2030 and the remainder by 2032.

The decision taken by Kirklees Council’s Strategic Planning Committee on Thursday focused on the principle of development and the primary and secondary access to the site via Blackmoorfoot Road and Felks Stile Road.

The access point on Blackmoorfoot Road is almost opposite the popular Sands House pub.

The scheme will secure £1.3m towards education, £553,000 towards traffic improvements at Longroyd Bridge and £412,000 towards public transport. Officers said a study of traffic generation based on the new homes indicated 558 two-way trips during the morning and 602 at evening peak travel times.

They said queuing traffic would experience increased delays of 64 seconds at the junctions of Blackmoorfoot Road/Park Road in the evening peak, and 52 seconds at the A62 Manchester Road/Blackmoorfoot Road in the morning peak. However the council says its ‘Huddersfield Southern Corridors’ scheme will aim to better manage traffic and reduce queues.