Huddersfield development safety decision bosses say ‘there are risks of harm to people’ ahead this week

Controversial plans for an 83-home Huddersfield housing development will be decided next week. It comes amid warnings from the Health and Safety Executive about the potential “risk of harm to people” if it goes ahead.

The major scheme off Cockley Hill Lane, Kirkheaton, is split into two planning applications. The first for 54 homes and the second, or ‘Phase Two’, for 29 homes – both to be decided by Kirklees Council’s Strategic Planning Committee next week.

The plans cover two neighboring sites in the council’s Local Plan, although the smaller of the two developments would partially affect the Green Belt. Despite it being against the advice of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), planning permission has already been secured for the first part of the development.

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The latest ‘reserved matters’ application relates to the layout, scale, layout and layout of this part of the plan and is to be decided by the committee.

However, the HSE reiterated its previous position in response to the current application, advising the council to reject the plans due to the site’s location “in the middle of a hazardous facility, the Syngenta site”.

The HSE commented: “The assessment indicates that the risk of harm to people on the proposed development site is such that the HSE’s advice is that there are sufficient reasons on safety grounds to recommend against the granting of planning permission in this case.

“… the possibility remains that a major accident will occur at an installation and have serious consequences for people in the vicinity. Although the probability of a major accident occurring is small, it is considered prudent for planning purposes to consider the risks to people in the vicinity of the hazardous installation.”

If the Strategic Planning Committee approves the first application for 54 homes, the HSE will have 21 days to seek an appeal from the Secretary of State. Council officers have recommended that the application be referred to the HSE and approved, subject to conditions, should it not wish to intervene.

The second application relating to phase two of the development is not considered to have the same level of risk, with full planning permission being recommended by council officers. However, as with the first application, it is also before the committee at the request of ward Cllr Mus Khan (Dalton, Independent) and due to the significant number of objections received from the public.

Approximately two-thirds of this development site is included in the Local Plan, with the remainder located in the Green Belt. The Green Belt portion of the site would be used primarily to form an attenuation basin for surface water drainage.

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While the council acknowledges this would change the character of the area, it does not believe the proposals would create a “disturbing” appearance and says the impact would be “mitigated” by the proposed tree planting.

The two parts of the development would be interconnected by a property road which would be accessed north of Cockley Meadows. The road would wind around to serve each part of the site.

Concerns about traffic, loss of privacy and effects on local wildlife are among those voiced by objectors. Responding to the first request, one resident wrote: “Traffic through Kirkheaton is already very high, this proposal would put even more pressure on road routes and cause more dangerous incidents between pedestrians and other road users.

“We have a lack of green space in Kirkheaton, this area is popular with dog walkers (of which I am one) and the large building footprint would greatly detract from a lovely piece of land which is a welcome retreat from urban surroundings.”

The developer said: “Our intention is to provide a safe and sustainable development of modern family homes in a safe, green and welcoming environment. Realize this vision through careful design and communication with the local authority and residents without preconceived notions about the possibilities of this site.”

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