Dewsbury land swap to go ahead despite potential impact on housing

The decision was taken by Kirklees Council’s Cabinet despite a warning from a Yorkshire-based builder that the move could create “a major impediment” to the future delivery of housing in the borough.

Principally there is a risk that hundreds of houses earmarked for the massive Dewsbury Riverside site, to be built on a vast swathe of land at Thornhill Lees between Ravensthorpe and Mirfield, could be compromised.

The 10-member Cabinet voted to dispose of “open space” land at Ravensthorpe and near Deighton Station to assist with the £2.9bn upgrade to the Transpennine rail route.

In total the council will dispose of ten parcels of land. The strip at Deighton involves the felling of more than 900 trees.

The council has partnered with Network Rail on the land swap in order to avoid the potential for a costly public inquiry on the issue and a subsequent ruling by government.

That would mean Network Rail would be given compulsory purchase powers to acquire land needed for the route upgrade.

If an agreement can be reached then the council will give over its land and Network Rail will, in return, offer replacement land of a similar value.

The land being offered forms part of the proposed Dewsbury Riverside development, a flagship housing scheme within the council’s Local Plan.

Last December Wetherby-based builder Berkeley DeVeer objected to the land swap in a 12-page letter but did not get a response from the council.

Rachel Cowper, head of legal for Berkeley DeVeer, said in addition to not receiving feedback to its objection it had not been informed that Cabinet was to discuss the matter.

Ms Cowper said the equivalent area of land being offered in exchange by Network Rail to compensate the council for losing open space was in its development area.

She said Berkeley DeVeer was concerned that what had been allocated as building land would be subject to a covenant making it open space in perpetuity.

She said re-classifying the area as open space would create “a physical barrier” that stops the land being used as access.

That access would “unlock” 600 to 700 homes.

Ms Cowper said the site’s housing allocation would be put at risk.

“That housing allocation is due to deliver over 4,000 new homes for the benefit of Kirklees; 1,800 of those will be delivered in this plan period.

“So it creates a major impediment to the future delivery of housing in your local area.”

Kirklees’ Local Plan, which will see tens of thousands of new homes built in the borough, was adopted in February 2019.

An order from the Government, the Local Plan includes 31,000 homes, many of which will have to be built within the green belt, as there is insufficient non-green belt land in the borough.

It equates to building 1,730 homes per annum in the borough.