A CAMPAIGN group opposing a housing development in Cleckheaton has come up with an alternative site for the homes.

The Cleckheaton Action Group (CAG) was formed in protest at plans to erect 51 houses on urban green space off New Lane.

Now, the group has found a different site about three-quarters of a mile away, off Westgate - and it is a brownfield site they claim could have four times as many houses on as the New Lane one.

Graeme Raisbeck, of CAG, said: "It has been a huge derelict site for years. It is a site that the Cleckheaton Action Group would love to see 200 houses built on.

"These could and should be 50 per cent affordable homes that this area desperately needs, due to incomes way below national averages.

"Kirklees say they have a waiting list for homes of more than 7,000. And yet they have not moved the one business that remains on the site.

"The houses proposed off New Lane have less than ten per cent affordable and no social housing component. Many are detached houses that Kirklees' own figures state that an income needs to be £38,000 to afford the average Kirklees price. These houses will be up to 50 per cent more than the average Kirklees house price."

Mr Raisbeck continued: "For many years this brownfield site has allowed pressure to build onto Cleckheaton's last significant urban green space. This resulted last year in the loss of green space at Blacup Farm to 50 Redrow homes.

He added: "We believe the main objective is to pass more development applications, although we do believe that New Lane is a bridge too far for the council, and we believe they will reject the application in January."

A council spokesman said: “The council is supportive of residential development on the Westgate site, and has already granted outline permission for a mixed use development on the site, including up to 217 residential units. This current outline permission does not expire until May 2017.”

The residents' campaign is being back by Jo Cox, Labour's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Batley & Spen constituency.

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