770 new houses at Crosland Hill
Planning application 20/92546
770 new houses at Crosland Hill
Huddersfield Civic Society notes this application (20/92546) is a request for Outline Planning Permission (OPP) with only site access matters requested for consideration at this stage. It is for one of several potential large housing developments in, or close to, Crosland Hill
This one application is for 770 new houses, i.e. the scale of a village, to be added to the edge of Crosland Moor. A community this size requires services, such as a primary school, shops, a community centre and its own bus service. It requires all buildings and services to be to of a high ‘green’ standard that will meet the local and national standards that contribute to Net Zero Carbon targets. We also support the creation of high quality landscaped and, particularly, the protection and creation of wooded areas.
It requires footpaths and cycle facilities to at least meet current government ‘Active Travel’ standards, both within the development site and to schools, shops and other essential services in the surrounding community.
There is also a matter of how far development can, or should, be allowed to proceed before all asbestos and various toxic materials are fully identified and removed from the site. This matter is beyond the remit of Huddersfield Civic Society (HCS) and we trust Kirklees Council to make full provision for the safety of any residents in close proximity to (or living on) the site during the removal process.
In its previous and very detailed response to this application, HCS has made numerous comments and suggestions as to how this many buildings and their services might be provided. We have also met with the planning officer to ensure that we were fully informed of the options and the implications of this application proceeding.
HCS understands that the planning system allows for developers to make submissions in line with an adopted Local Plan, that these be considered by council planning officials and, in cases of substantive development such as this, that a council planning committee meeting be asked to decide either refusal, acceptance or acceptance with specific conditions as the meeting may agree.
HCS notes that the applicant has made suggestions as to how the development might proceed but we regard many of the proposals as materially inadequate.
As this application is a request for OPP only, we understand the applicants are also in no way committing subsequent builders or developers who might submit quite different detailed planning requests in years to come.
Council planning officers have suggested that the planning committee delegate to them sorting out many of the inadequate or non-existent proposals with the applicant as ‘Reserved Matters.”
Conclusions & Recommendations
- HCS notes that the applicant is currently only asking only for ‘Access Matters’ to be agreed as part of an application for Outline Planning Permission.
2. Accordingly, HCS asks that this Strategic Planning Committee:
a) Considers ONLY access matters at this stage, as per the applicant’s request
b) Defers consideration of all remaining matters to a future, more complete, application
c) Does NOT delegate to officers the many key matters which are critical to the success of a future new community here and its impacts on existing neighbourhoods
3. Only a future application will be able to address the many real needs to create a new community in Crosland Hill, along with several other sites in close proximity designated for housing.
4. This application raises key issues for Kirklees Council in the challenge of meeting local and national targets for housing, transport, energy, air quality and many other standards.
Prepared by Geoff Hughes & Chas Ball (executive members, Huddersfield Civic Society)