Protests at plans for homes and data centre on green field site

Council officers are giving the thumbs up to both proposals despite widespread opposition and councillors will meet tomorrow to decide whether to back the proposals that have sparked controversy among locals.

Miller Homes has applied for planning permission from Kirklees Council to build 294 homes on land between Cowrakes Road and Weather Hill Road on Lindley Moor.

Stirling Scotfield wants outline permission for a data centre, which will have uses including processing and storing electronic data, on the corner of Lindley Moor Road and Crosland Road. The applications will be discussed by members of Kirklees Council’s planning sub-committee (Huddersfield area).

Campaigners have pledged to fight the two developments on green field land next to the M62.

The authority has received 248 letters of objection to the Miller Homes application.

Jason McCartney, MP, (Con, Colne Valley) has written to the committee with his concerns that the local infrastructure would not be able to cope with an extra 300 homes.

He says: “Already I am getting constituents who can’t get their children and siblings into Lindley schools, I can’t imagine how they would cope with 300 new families.”

Huddersfield Civic Society warns: “The society has considerable concern over the impact of a development of 294 dwellings will have on Lindley village, which has over 700 new dwellings constructed over the last 10 years.”

Coun Cahal Burke, who represents the area on Kirklees Council, has also objected, saying: “The roads around the site location and further would not be able to cope with the increased traffic that would be generated by such development. Currently these roads are congested on a daily basis.”

A report to members however says that the principle of developing the site is in accordance with the council’s own development plan.

Councillors are recommended to give the green light to the housing application subject to conditions being agreed and the approval of officers.

The authority has also received petitions signed by more than 300 people objecting to the housing scheme and nearby data centre. More than 200 letters have been received objecting to the data centre.

Stirling Scotfield, which estimates its development will create 150 jobs, wants to set up a secure site for businesses to house their computer servers on the corner of Lindley Moor Road and Crosland Road.

Kirklees rejected a data centre proposal last June after opposition from residents. The Planning Inspectorate will hold a public inquiry into the proposal in September, but the latest application will be considered tomorrow.

Coun Burke, who also objects to the data centre, has written to the committee saying: “I have consulted with people in the Lindley ward area and the overwhelming response is negative – the residents simply do not want this.”

The Lindley Moor Action Group (LMAG) questions whether the proposed site, which would have 12 buildings with a floor area of 32,0000 square metres, can be filled by the information technology businesses world to guarantee it will be developed as a data campus.

In conclusion council officers say in their report: “The proposal is considered to be in accordance with the statutory development plan and contributes to the comprehensive development of both the employment and residential allocations at Lindley Moor as is a requirement of both those allocations.”

Officers are recommending that the outline application for the data centre is given the go-ahead subject to conditions being agreed and the approval of officers.