Kirklees Council approves plans to turn part of ex-Aldo’s site into housing

The former Aldo’s restaurant at 6-14 Central Parade at Dewsbury Road closed its doors last year. It is understood the Italian restaurant had operated under its original ownership for decades before being taken over by new owners in 2019. From that point onwards, it served both Italian and Indian cuisine as Aldo’s and Chakkra restaurants.

This summer, plans were submitted by A Hyko seeking permission to change the first floor of the premises from its use as part of the restaurant to housing, with two, self-contained flats planned for the site. The plans say that all habitable rooms will have external windows and bin storage will be provided at the rear in the parking area.

According to the application, the ground floor will continue to have a commercial or business use, with it registered on Companies House as of January 2025 as a licenced restaurant – Verona. Now, the plans can become a reality, as Kirklees Council has granted planning permission, subject to conditions.

During the planning process, just one comment on the application had been made by the Spen Valley Civic Society. While the group said they supported the principle of converting unused town centre space, they posed several questions to ensure that the development represented a “good quality” development.

They also voiced some concern around the noise and air pollution, due to the premises fronting onto the A638, as well as the properties being located above a restaurant. The matter of noise was picked up by the council when determining the conditions to be placed on the application, with the applicant required to provide an assessment of the noise in the area and how residents will be protected.