Danger fears over construction traffic for Dewsbury's Owl Lane development

Sandra Mounsey, Duncan Mounsey and Dewsbury MP Mark Eastwood at the Barratt Homes housing development at Owl Lane, Chidswell, Dewsbury.

Fears have been voiced over the danger diggers and tipper trucks being used on the Barratt development on Owl Lane in Chidswell could pose because, residents claim, they are using roads not in their agreed route.

“It’s absolute chaos and an accident waiting to happen,” said one, Sandra Mounsey.

“It’s just getting out of hand. There needs to be some real action.”

She said construction vehicles are using roads including narrow Chidswell Lane where she described a recent “close call” with a young mum taking her baby out of a car.

Dewsbury’s MP Mark Eastwood has backed residents’ calls, saying: “The council has responsibility here to ensure public safety is upheld and the developers have to got make sure they’re not causing any danger to pedestrians and other road users.”

A spokesperson for Barratt Developments Yorkshire West said: “We are sorry for any inconvenience that residents may have experienced. After initially agreeing to pause our earthworks for a short period while construction management details were agreed with the council, work has resumed with an agreed traffic management plan in place.

“We are working closely with our external contractors to ensure the construction traffic we are responsible for operates according to this plan.”

Kirklees Councillor Peter McBride, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “We take planning conditions seriously and are committed to ensuring that developers adhere to them.

“We have been working with the contractors on this site to ensure planning conditions are adhered to. When development on the site started before some of the pre-commencement planning conditions were met, a Temporary Stop Notice was served, the notice was complied with.

“Recently, we have received reports regarding construction vehicles using Chidswell Lane rather than the agreed routing down Owl Lane, as set out in the Construction Environmental Management Plan.

“These reports were swiftly investigated and officers attended the site. Following this, further enforcement action has been taken and the council has served a Breach of Condition Notice. This notice requires that construction vehicles stop using Chidswell Lane and only use the agreed route.

“The contractors have 30 days to comply with the notice. Further enforcement action will be taken if necessary.”