The fight against 123-homes in a Yorkshire village is building momentum, with councillors from different sides of the political spectrum backing campaigners.

The application from housing developer Vivly Living seeks permission to build 123 homes on a plot of Green Belt land in Upper Cumberworth. The plans, which have been met with masses of opposition from the community, are awaiting a decision from Kirklees Council.

Over the course of the application so far, residents have raised a number of concerns, including those around proposals to remove a protected Sycamore tree from the land, the site’s proximity to designated ancient woodland, potential impacts on traffic and highways safety, strain on local services and a lack of “meaningful” consultation.

Vivly Living says it has “worked closely with residents” and amended the plans to “alleviate” their fears. The developer says the estate would be “sympathetic” to the local environment and would consist of “sustainable homes”.

An artist's impression of the proposed homes at Upper Cumberworth. Credit: Vivly Living.

placeholder image — An artist's impression of the proposed homes at Upper Cumberworth. Credit: Vivly Living.

At the end of last week, locals who are campaigning against the development, met with Michael Broomhead from the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). Joining them were Conservative and Labour Denby Dale ward councillors who have thrown their weight behind the campaign.

David Harrison, who has lived in the village for nearly 25 years, had a message for the developer. He said: “Consult with the local population – that hasn’t really happened to any meaningful extent locally, and perhaps go to brownfield first. I know greenfield is attractive because it’s more profitable, but the destruction of the Green Belt is something you can only do once. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Councillor Tim Bamford (Conservative) said: “My main concern with this one is that it’s dumping 123 houses into a small village. It’s going to put pressure on local services. It’s not sustainable. We haven’t got the transport links, we’ve got a train station which has an hourly train, and that’s only three carriages. We have a sporadic bus service. The roads are in a state at the moment, because we’re trying to put more cars on the road.”

Councillor Will Simpson (Labour) added: “I think this is the wrong site because it’s protected, it’s on Ancient Woodland, it’s got terrible potential environmental impact. Of course we need new homes across Kirklees and across the country – that’s why we’ve got a Local Plan that allocates the sites to set places where people can build against our housing target. That’s why we’ve got a Local Plan, and we’re working on a new one. What our Local Plan does is protect this site because of its environmental value and that’s why this application should be rejected.”

George Butterfield of Vivly Living commented: “Regarding our proposed development at Upper Cumberworth, we have worked closely with the residents of the village through conversations and a public consultation. Once the public consultation was over, we liaised with villagers to amend our plans to alleviate their fears.

“It is very important to emphasise that our development will be sympathetic to the local environment, with the design of our sustainable homes reflecting the surrounding architecture. We are proposing a portion of affordable housing some of which is social rent.

“It is also important to state that there is a statutory planning process to follow and we are working with Kirklees Council to ensure that this process is followed closely and correctly. There is a proven need for new homes in the Huddersfield area and our development satisfies that need. At the same time, it will boost the economy of Upper Cumberworth and the surrounding villages.”