PLANS for a housing development on the site of the former Brighouse Fire Station have been agreed.

The fire station on Lister Street became redundant last year with the opening of a replacement station at Rastrick, merging the Brighouse and Elland operations.

Owner West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was granted outline permission for up to nine homes on the site and subsequently put the site up for sale with a guide price of £300,000.

Local firm Brown’s (Precision Engineers Ltd) then applied to Calderdale Council for detailed permission for eight homes, and the application has now been approved. The site is in close proximity to St Andrew’s Junior School, grade II listed Brighouse Library and Art Gallery and Brighouse Ambulance Station.

In passing the plans, council planning lead Richard Seaman states in his report that an objector raised concerns about the conflict with parked cars and ambulances leaving the nearby ambulance station.

His report states: “Whilst there is a right of access across the unadopted road it is not owned by the applicant and the granting of planning permission does not infer a right to park on private land where one does not exist.

“WYMAS also has a right of access over the road, although they do not own it, and whilst future residents should not impede this right, it is a private matter.

“WYMAS Ambulance Station has been notified of the application and they have not made any objection or representation to the development.”

A West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service spokesman said: “The site is sold subject to contracts and we are therefore unable to confirm the sale price until completion.

“The income will be treated as a capital receipt and therefore used to reduce capital borrowing in future years.”