Luxury homes plan for green space to be examined

A plan for 30 new homes in a West Yorkshire village is set to be decided by the council.

Part of the development, which includes 21 five-bedroom homes, is set to fall within the green belt in Denby Dale, near Huddersfield.

Developer Strata Homes initially said it was "unviable" to provide affordable housing as part of the plan, but six of the houses will be affordable after independent consultants found this was not the case.

Kirklees Council officers have recommended the plans be approved at a planning committee meeting on Thursday despite objections from residents and the Woodland Trust.

The charity said it was concerned about deterioration of Tanner Wood, an ancient semi-natural woodland along the estate's boundary, as work was proposed within 15m of the "buffer zone".

One objector said: "The village is becoming a commuter village for wealthy people.

"The village needs affordable houses for young families and older people – not yet more four or five-bedroom houses that a lot of people can't afford."

Nine out of the 30 houses will be two, three or four-bedroom homes, while the rest would have five bedrooms, according to the plans.

The vast majority of the houses would be detached, and all will have a driveway or garage.

Another member of the public said the green belt land would be "wasted on properties the local area does not need or want".

"None of the houses built ever seem to be for the less wealthy or more elderly people in the village," a third submission stated.

The application will be decided by committee due to the high number of objections received, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Strata Homes said it had considered the site and its surroundings "in physical, social and economic terms" which had influenced the proposal.

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