West Yorkshire: Cemetery close to key Iron Age hill fort site set for go-ahead

Controversial plans to build a cemetery on land near a site regarded as one of Yorkshire’s most important early Iron Age hill forts are set to be given the go-ahead.

The proposals, which would see land at Berry Brow, which is about 700 metres from Castle Hill, at Almondbury, Huddersfield, used as a cemetery were earlier rejected by members but officers are
now recommending amended proposals are given approval.

Castle Hill can be seen for miles around and is a scheduled ancient monument that has been settled for at least 4,000 years.

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Members of Kirklees Council’s planning committee will discuss the application at a meeting on Thursday. Officers are recommending that the proposals put forward by the council’s bereavement services are given the go ahead.

A report to committee members says: “The proposed cemetery is considered to be an appropriate use within the green belt 
which would preserve the openness and character of the area, provide an important community benefit to the residents of Huddersfield and South Kirklees and would represent sustainable development.

“The proposal would preserve the setting of the scheduled ancient monument of Castle Hill and the Grade II listed Victoria Tower and would lead to increased biodiversity at the site.”

The authority has received almost fifty letters complaining or commenting on the proposals and one letter supporting the move.

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Objectors are worried the 
proposal will harm the setting of Castle Hill and Victoria Tower, claim a cemetery would look 
out of place in an area surrounded by farmland and woodlands and say its rural location means 
people will be forced to bury 
their loved ones in a place that is possibly far away from where they live.

There are also concerns about access to the site and fears that the local roads are unsuitable for the amount of traffic the scheme will generate.

The proposal would provide burial space for the next 20 to 30 years and would include a 
Muslim burial area and open burial area.

The application for the site off Hey Lane, Stirley Hill, Berry Brow, was earlier rejected by councillors for a number of reasons including concerns local roads could not cope and the fact there was little public transport to the site.

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Officers say that the site will be screened by planting and in a report council officers say: “it is considered that the openness of the green belt will be preserved”.

They say the applicant has submitted details of traffic surveys which show the road network could cope with the traffic the cemetery is predicted to generate. The numbers using buses will also be monitored and if there are a number of people using buses to get to the site discussions will begin to see if services can be increased.

The report adds: “Given that the use has been demonstrated to be a low generator of vehicular movements the proposal is considered to be acceptable in terms of highway safety.

“The proposal would not lead to an increase in flood risk at the site and sufficient details have been provided to demonstrate that surface water drainage would be adequately controlled.”

Council chiefs say Kirklees needs a new cemetery.

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Kirklees only has capacity for the next 12 to 18 months in the three cemeteries in the south of Kirklees at Lockwood, Kirkheaton and 
Almondbury. Currently 120 burials take place each year and this figure is predicted to rise to 200 by 2015.

A new burial site at Fenay Bridge had previously been granted planning permission in 2008, however this is now deemed an unsuitable site after drainage costs spiralled.

Officers are recommending that the proposals are given the go-ahead when members meet on Thursday, subject to a number of conditions being agreed.