PLANS for a 13.5m metre high sugar silo at a confectionery factory in Cleckheaton, is among the appeals in the Spen Valley area highlighted in a new report.

The bid by Tangerine Confectionery, which makes the Lion brand of gum sweets, was initially turned down by Kirklees Council's Heavy Woollen planning sub-committee last year.

But an appeal over the structure was successful in November.

A report to the planning sub-committee next week highlights how there were 35 appeals within the Heavy Woollen area last year, of which 26 were dismissed.

The vast majority of these were determined by officers under delegated powers, rather than by the committee.

An application for costs relating to one of the appeals was also turned down.

Of the 35, only three of the decisions appealed against were made by planning committee. Two were dismissed and only one was upheld - the Tangerine Confectionery application.

The move at the firm’s factory in Westgate in Cleckheaton was intended to increase storage capacity at the site.

It was also to eliminate the need for daily deliveries to the factory and the congestion caused.

The silo, which is 3.5m in diameter, is located on land to the west side of the factory, approximately 20 metres from the northern boundary of the site.

Despite it being recommended for approval by planners, the sub-committee felt that the height and position of the silo and its proximity to a neighbouring house on Waltroyd Road, would cause "significant harm to the residential amenity" of those living there.

The plans had stated that the new silo would eliminate the need for daily deliveries to the factory and would prevent a lorry being parked just off the highway on South Parade for a number of hours each day.

It was proposed that the deliveries of sugar would be off Punch Bowl yard, at the side of the pub next to the factory.

Given the increased capacity, the deliveries would also be less frequent.

A subsequent appeal was successful with Government planning inspector Jillian Rann concluding that the silo's "limited width", its distance from the boundary, and the existing trees plus extra planting, would screen the silo from those living at the neighbouring house.

A the time of the application Tangerine Confectionery said: “The proposed sugar silo at our Cleckheaton factory is designed to allow increased storage at the facility. This will reduce the number of deliveries required, thereby easing congestion on the surrounding roads.

“The silo also represents a business commitment to the factory, which employs more than 100 people and in 2017 produced more than 9,000 tonnes of confectionery under the northern ‘Lion’ sweet brand.”

The Lion brand of sweets, such as wine gums, midget gems and liquorice gums, are made at the firm’s Cleckheaton factory.

Retro sweets such as DipDab, Fruit Salad, Refreshers, and Wham are also made by Tangerine Confectionery at other sites.