Fight goes on to save valley from developers

The Save Grimescar Valley campaign will take place at the Birchencliffe Cricket Club in Huddersfield from 10am.

At 11am there will be a walk along the beautiful Grimescar Valley, which may be developed as part of the Kirklees Northern Gateway scheme under the current Local Development Framework, despite being green belt.

The proposals have shocked many residents from Lindley, Edgerton and Birkby who believed the area was sacrosant and would never be built on.

Indeed there was a huge outcry more than 30 years ago when part of the valley was turned into an amorphous housing estate with more than 400 undistinguished houses built on it.

And Edgerton residents are still getting over the shock of another much-loved beauty spot, Clayton Fields, having steel fencing placed around it prior to a major housing development beginning.

Landowners Thornhill Estates want to develop 642 acres from Ainley Top to Cowcliffe, including parts of Lindley Moor, Rastrick, Grimescar, Birkby and Fixby.

The Northern Gateway plan includes 841 houses; 355,000sq ft of office space; 10,000sq ft of shops and a 60-bed hotel.

But two councillors for the area have called for the valley to be protected when Kirklees Council draws up its Local Development Framework (LDF) later this month.

Lindley Lib Dem councillor Christine Stanfield and Cahal Burke say they are totally opposed to any further erosion of the green belt in Lindley and say there are many other areas of Kirklees which are much more suitable for development. They say Lindley is now well-developed, with many new homes being built in the last five years and the area can’t take any more. They promise to fight every inch of the way to protect the Grimescar Valley.