Batley and Spen MP Kim Leadbeater reaffirms her opposition to the Amazon warehouse scheme in Scholes

Almost 2,000 objections have been lodged against the plans ahead of a decision expected from Kirklees Council’s Strategic Planning Committee on Wednesday, March 15.

If approved the scheme would see a huge ‘fulfilment centre’ built on land close to junction 26 of the M62 at Chain Bar. It is predicted that more than 200,000 HGV movements would go in and out of the site every year.

Ms Leadbeater said she was ‘convinced’ that surrounding roads would become even more ‘clogged’ than they are already.

Local residents in Scholes also fear that as well as seeing vastly increased amounts of traffic, putting pedestrians in danger, they will be subjected to unacceptable levels of noise, light, and air pollution.

Ms Leadbeater said: “My position on this proposal has not changed since I was first elected in July 2021.

“It is too big, too polluting, too damaging to the local environment and would impose intolerable pressure on an already overburdened road network without leading to the kind of sustainable economic development that the constituency needs.

“I agree with local people that roads around the site will be unable to cope with the amount of extra traffic – much of it HGVs – that will be generated.

“Junction 26 of the M62 is already over capacity. Pumping hundreds of extra lorries onto the route is simply not manageable.

“I will be urging the committee to refuse the plans. If approved they would do substantial and irreversible damage to the area.”