Kirklees Council has accumulated more than £14.5m which was intended to fund improvements and support local services.

In August, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reported the findings of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request regarding Section 106 payments. These contributions are made by developers to local authorities to mitigate the impact of building projects and extend to matters including affordable housing, new school places and road improvements.

The FOI showed that Kirklees Council had racked up £14,501,613.10 in unspent Section 106 funding as of the current financial year. These funds stem from 36 applications, with some of the money dating back decades.

In one example, more than £590,000 was set aside in 2024 for education to offset the impacts of building 260 new homes in Dewsbury, and the funds have yet to be allocated, according to the FOI.

Spen Valley MP, Kim Leadbeater, has written to the council leader, asking what steps will be taken by the new Reform administration to get the money spent.

placeholder image — Spen Valley MP, Kim Leadbeater, has written to the council leader, asking what steps will be taken by the new Reform administration to get the money spent.

Coun John Hardie, cabinet member for regeneration, highways and transport, told the LDRS: “Section 106 is very much on the top of my list for discussion and resolution. It is a very complicated and legally bound matter. We are progressing and hope to have some news by October this year.”

Since then, Spen Valley MP, Kim Leadbeater, has written to council leader Coun Sarah Wood asking what steps will be taken by the new Reform administration to get the money spent.

Ms Leadbeater said she has raised the issue with the council on a number of occasions over the past five years.

She highlighted several examples, including £500,995 for a development at Heathfield Lane in Birkenshaw in 2021, £20,000 for a development near Broomfield Terrace in Cleckheaton in 1998, and additional funds in Gomersal, Liversedge, Mirfield and the wider Spen Valley.

In her letter, she said: “When houses are built, the impact on residents is immediate – traffic increases, school places tighten and local services face extra demand.

“It is wrong that developers finish their estates and move on while the funds set aside to protect our communities sit unused year after year.

“This money belongs to the people of Cleckheaton, Birkenshaw, Gomersal, Liversedge, Mirfield, and our communities across Spen Valley.

“Residents deserve to see a fair deal delivered on the ground right now to get our roads fixed, support our schools and improve our community spaces.”