PLANS to build 55 homes on green fields in Cleckheaton are causing concerns among local residents.

Kirklees Council, which owns the land off Kenmore Drive in the town, has lodged an outline scheme for the 1.68 hectare site, which is next to a care home and surrounded by existing housing.

Concerns are focusing on the loss of the open space in the town and the effect on local services of extra homes in the area.

Local councillor Kath Pinnock (Lib Dem, Cleckheaton) said that the Council had owned the land for a number of years and at one point had earmarked it for a new school.

But for the last two decades it had been allocated for housing, so the plans would come as no surprise. Despite this, she added, local residents were rightly concerned about the move.

“It’s a hilly site and there is no obvious access so the Council have steered clear of developing it so far,” she said. “It’s not going to be easy or cheap to develop.

“I am concerned about it on several levels. Firstly, that Cleckheaton doesn’t have that much in the way of open space that’s accessible and secondly, that access is going to be terrible.

“The proposed access is from a small housing estate that was built in the 60s or 70s and the road is below the standard width.

“Schools in the area are full and over-subscribed. Where will everybody go? And it’s not as if these 55 homes are the only ones – there are hundreds of others that are in the pipeline in Cleckheaton in the next couple of years.”

She said that she understood the Council would not develop the site itself, but would look to sell the land with the benefit of outline planning permission.

Comments on social media saw a number of local residents objecting to the scheme.

One said: “Our schools, doctors, dentists etc are at bursting point not to mention Kenmore Drive and View are lovely quiet cul-de-sacs with cars parked on either side of the road with not much room for cars to come down and children playing out.

“The traffic coming up Kenmore and Rooks Avenue will be horrendous.”

Another added: “This site is used regularly by the local community and provides a modest green space for many residents of Cleckheaton. The visual impact of this proposed development will be devastating and irreversible to this valuable grassland area of natural beauty and diversity.”

A planning statement accompanying the scheme states that the development could contain a mix of detached and semi-detached homes and that this level of development could be delivered while achieving enhanced accessibility through the site and incorporating public open space within it.

The plans are for up to 55 homes and access to the site off Kenmore Drive.

If successful, all other matters would be determined at a later date.

People have until Wednesday, September 6 to have their say, before a decision is expected to be made later this year.

A Kirklees Council spokesperson said: “An outline planning application has recently been submitted for the land off Kenmore Drive, Cleckheaton.

"This application is currently being consulted on and no decision has been made.

"The Council as the landowner is entitled to apply for planning permission on its own land.

"The application will be considered in the usual way, and the decision on the application will be made by the appropriate Planning Committee."