A PLANNING wrangle surrounding a new post office and general store in Liversedge is to be discussed this week.

Kirklees Council planners agreed to the replacement post office and store at Halifax Road in Hightown in April last year.

But when applicant Richard Walker began work on the building, it was “much larger” than the agreed plans for a long, rectangular building with a hipped roof.

Planners approved the original design, to be built next to the existing building, as it would have been similar in design and therefore sympathetic to the surroundings.

But a planning report said what was built was wider and taller, with a gable, with the overall height increasing from 5m to 7.35m.

A second application was due to be determined back in February. Planners recommended it be refused, despite the building being “substantially completed”.

Mr Walker wrote to planners at Kirklees Council to explain the changes. He said the new building is part of a franchise deal secured with One Shop.

He added that the decision to raise the pitch of the roof was in order to make the store fully compliant with disability access legislation - something he said the planning department has insisted on.

A planning report issued ahead of Thursday’s meeting says the application was deferred on February 7 to allow the applicant to consider reducing the height and pitch of the roof of the building; widening a footpath to the rear to a minimum of 1.8m; reducing the width of a dwarf wall to allow two to three staff car parking spaces only and creating extra space for a bin and refuge area.

The report says: “Amended plans/additional information has been received from the agent in order to address the above matters, and officers consider that on the basis of these amendments, the previous reasons for refusal have, on balance, been addressed.”

A total of 17 objections to the initial scheme were sent to the Council, outlining concerns over the size of the building, parking and access issues. There were 29 representations in support of it.

The plans are recommended for approval.