CONTROVERSIAL plans to build 55 homes on Council-owned green fields in Cleckheaton are being recommended for approval.

The scheme for the 1.68 hectare site off Kenmore Drive is to go before members of the Heavy Woollen planning sub-committee next week for a decision.

The land is already scheduled to be sold at auction in a fortnight with a guide price of £1.25 million.

More than 100 letters of objection to the original plans have flooded in to Kirklees Council. Initially the authority’s highways department had concerns about extending the cul-de-sac over fears the existing on-street parking could create issues with highway safety.

Following the influx of objections, amended plans were submitted to try to address the highways issues, with two points of access - on Kenmore Drive and Kenmore View - rather than one.

The land has been owned by the Council for a number of years and had at one point been earmarked for a new school.

For the last two decades it has been allocated for housing.

A planner’s report to the sub-committee states: “Following concerns being raised relating to matters of access and highways safety the application was revised from single point of access to show two points of access via Kenmore Drive and Kenmore View.

“The revised details were accompanied by an additional highway statement with responses to concerns raised.

“Resolution of matters relating to drainage of the site is ongoing and direct discussions are progressing between engineers and consultants.”

But the report adds that the indicated one way system is “unacceptable given the likely inconvenience and the practicalities of managing” it.

As Kenmore View is relatively narrow and there is on-street parking on both access roads, additional measures might be needed at the reserved matters stage.

Concerns raised in the more than 100 letters of objection include issues around an unsuitable access route due to on street parking, the loss of wildlife habitat, increased air and noise pollution, and the impact on local services.

The report goes on to state that the development would provide some economic gains through business opportunities for contractors and local supplies, as well as the social gain through the provision of new housing at a time of general shortage.

But adds that while national policy encourages the use of brownfield land for development it also makes clear that no significant weight can be given to the loss of greenfield sites to housing when there is a national priority to increase housing supply.

The auction, by Walker Singleton, is due to take place at The Cedar Court Hotel, Ainley Top, Huddersfield, on November 16.

In a brochure it is described as a “substantial gently sloping greenfield site” and that outline plans have been submitted.

When it emerged that the site had been listed for auction, ward Councillor Kath Pinnock (Lib Dem, Cleckheaton) said that it must have been put on the market on the assumption that planning consent was a formality – which was not the case.

“I will be making strong representations about this,” she said.

The planning sub-committee takes place on November 9 from 1pm.