Residents gear up for battle over future of ex-works site

Campaigners thought they had won their battle to prevent a retirement village being built on land at the old Allen Works site in Badger Lane, Hipperholme, but now the developer has launched an appeal.

The proposal by Martin Walsh Associates on behalf of Blackshaw Holdings Ltd was to build two three-storey and one two-storey apartments, a three-storey and two-storey assisted living apartment blocks, a 40-bed nursing home, bowling green and pavilion, allotments, an orchard, a fitness trail and a social centre with a restaurant, swimming pool and gymnasium.

However, Calderdale Council planning officers refused the plans because they did not meet the requirements for building on green belt land.

Now members of the Sunny Vale Residents Association are preparing to do battle once more.

Secretary John Wharton said: “It’s bad news that they have appealed but there have been various plans by developers for this site for 17 years and we have always opposed them and have always been successful.

“While we think it’s a good idea we think it is far too big for this beautiful valley. The developers are talking about two- to three-storey blocks – that’s 96 apartments and such high rise blocks would spoil the countryside. Although the site is an eyesore at present it is a low-rise eyesore.”

Calderdale councillor Graham Hall, who represents the Hipperholme ward, added: “I shall be opposing this appeal. The plans would result in an overintensification of the area and the roads are too narrow to cope with the traffic that would be generated.”

Sunny Vale was once a popular privately run leisure park. Part was used as a brickworks and in the 1850s it was used for clay and coal mining. In 1986 it was taken over by the Monoplas plastics recycling company and today contains several derelict buildings.

Calderdale Council decided in 1995 that allowing the site to be used for housing would be more acceptable. Sunny Vale Pleasure Gardens, opened by Joseph Bunce in 1883, once attracted 100,000 visitors a year.