Plans sparks fear over heavy traffic

Kitson Green Limited has submitted plans to change the use of dilapidated buildings at the former Rogan & Dawson site into five commercial units, creating Station Business Park.

Coun Vivien Lees-Hamilton (Con, Mirfield) and Upper Hopton Road Safety Team are concerned that goods vehicles visiting the site off Back Station Road will come through the village.

Coun Lees-Hamilton said: “I believe it will bring more HGVs and lorries through Upper Hopton, where there is already a high volume of traffic.

“We are already campaigning hard to get traffic calming measures introduced and make our roads safer and I am concerned that traffic accessing the site will escalate the problems.”

But Chris Armstead director of Kitson Green, said that existing permission allowed for industrial use, and changing to offices, storage and distribution, and retail would “soften” its usage.

He said: “It was last used as a steel forming business, which could be reasonably described as ‘heavy industry,’ and there would have been many vehicle movements associated with it.”

“One unit is already provisionally leased to a small online e-commerce business which employs four people.

“Their main traffic would be small courier vans.”

Mr Armstead said the majority of site users would access it from Huddersfield Road and he envisaged no real change in traffic volumes through Upper Hopton.

He said: “The building was an eyesore and this plan will bring it back to life.”

Mr Armstead, who said he supports traffic calming measures in Upper Hopton,will speak to councillors about the application at Mirfield Town Council on Tuesday.