Mirfield objectors abandon campaign to stop housing scheme on ancient floodplain

People living near an ancient floodplain in Mirfield, which has been earmarked for a housing estate have abandoned their campaign to prevent the homes being built.
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They say being turned down for a call in by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick leaves them with nowhere to go.

Last month planners on Kirklees Council approved a scheme by Wakefield-based Miller Homes for a 67-home estate off Granny Lane, at Lower Hopton in Mirfield.

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The site, which is close to the River Calder, has been allocated for housing as part of the council’s Local Plan.

Members of Granny Lane Area Action Group (GLAAG) by meadowland in Hopton Bottom, near Mirfield, destined for housing.Members of Granny Lane Area Action Group (GLAAG) by meadowland in Hopton Bottom, near Mirfield, destined for housing.
Members of Granny Lane Area Action Group (GLAAG) by meadowland in Hopton Bottom, near Mirfield, destined for housing.

Residents formed Granny Lane Area Action Group (GLAAG) to protest against construction work and to raise their concerns with planning and highways chiefs.

They have been supported by campaign group Save Mirfield, which fought and won a battle to stop pastureland at Balderstone Hall Fields being turned into a housing estate.

Save Mirfield spokeswoman Cheryl Tyler said despite the plan being referred to Mr Jenrick with a request to call it in, the request had been denied.

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“Communities have no right to appeal against an approval so a call in is the last resort,” she said.

“We have tried that and it hasn’t worked.

“There’s nothing else that we are able to do now. That’s it. That’s the end.”

Mrs Tyler said planning chiefs in Kirklees were “up against it” when determining housing schemes as the authority was tasked with building 31,000 homes by 2030 – around 1,730 per year.

But she argued that the Granny Lane development, set for meadowland that regularly floods, “should never have been approved”.

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“The allocation of that site within the Local Plan is the problem. The planning department is determined to rubber-stamp these allocated sites.

“It’s very discouraging.”

Hundreds of people living near fields off Cumberworth Road in Skelmanthorpe have objected to a scheme by Persimmon Homes to build 190 houses.

They have formed Cumberworth Road Action Group (CRAG) to raise concerns that drainage issues on the land will only add to existing flooding problems that already affect nearby properties.

The weight of objections – more than 800 – has already caused the application to be deferred twice at consecutive meetings of the council’s Strategic Planning Committee.

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It has now been referred to Mr Jenrick who has been requested to call in the plan due to the flood risk to the village.

The call-in request was made by Mark Eastwood, the new Conservative MP for Dewsbury, prior to his election on December 12.