Hundreds join march through Mirfield against Bellway plans

SAVE MIRFIELD Marchers against Bellways development.

Mirfield folk young and old evoked memories of 1999 as they marched against plans from developers Bellway to build houses on Balderstone fields – 15 years after the company first submitted plans for the site.

Save Mirfield chairwoman Cheryl Tyler said there were around 400 people who took part in the march on Sunday.

“It was quite a good number that turned up,” she said.

“It was good to see so many people on such a lovely afternoon when they could have been sitting in their gardens instead.

“This shows the strength of feeling in Mirfield regarding the unwelcome and unsustainable developments that are being proposed at the moment.”

Save Mirfield were helped on the march by protest groups Project Mirfield and the Lady Heton Action Group, who oppose other planned developments in Mirfield.

Cheryl said: “It was also a great show of community spirit when Project Mirfield and the Lady Heton Action group joined with us. We were very pleased to see them.”

The last time people in Mirfield marched against Bellway‘s plans for the Balderstone site in January 1999, there were around 1,000 people at the march.

The plans were eventually rejected by Kirklees Council’s planning committee.

Anyone who wishes to make a comment on the applications can submit comments to the council on June 2 by visiting the Kirklees Council planning portal online.

Save Mirfield said the more people submit objections, the more chance it would have of stopping the development.

Cheryl said: “I want people to remember that a couple may submit two separate objections, but it is imperative that they are not identical as they may count as one.

“Make no mistake the fight is really on now and Save Mirfield needs continued support.”

At Tuesday’s Mirfield Town Council meeting, Coun James Taylor said: “They claim that some of the houses will be ‘affordable houses’, but that just means 20 percent cheaper than other houses in the development.

“So if, for example, most of the houses in the development cost £200,000, that would only take £40,000 off the price.”