PLANS to demolish a hall in a conservation area and build seven homes instead have been lodged.

Holroyd Miller estate agents has applied to redevelop the site at Oxford Road in Gomersal, near to the former Red House museum and Gomersal Public Hall.

The planning application to Kirklees Council details how the existing house on the five acre site has "no special architectural or historical merit", despite it being called Gomersal Hall.

It is however in a conservation area.

In a design and access statement, it details how the site is currently occupied by a detached house, several outbuildings and a derelict coach house.

The site has a number of trees around the perimeter, and some would need to be removed fronting West Lane in order to form a new entrance to the site.

Trees would also need to be removed to the east of the site, next to Oxford Road, to allow better visibility for vehicles.

However, the document adds: "The scheme has been designed to retain the majority of the tree belt perimeter surrounding the site."

Further documents detail how the internal road layout utilises the focal point of three large trees within the centre of the site to create an open space feature.

It has also emerged that pre-application advice was received last summer with the developer initially wanting to build 15 homes on the site.

"The concluding advice was that the principle of residential development was acceptable, however, they required a reduction in the number of dwellings and greater consideration to be given to the impact of the houses on the protected trees and the character of the conservation area.

"It was suggested that fewer but larger dwellings would be accepted.

"The scheme was then revised to a scheme of 7 larger dwellings and was subject to an informal meeting with the planning officer at Kirklees Council in October 2019.

"Feedback from this meeting was generally positive."

The plans involve detached houses with a range of sizes, one three-bedroom home, five five-bedroom homes and one six-bedroom home, which range in height from one to 2.5 storey.

Each new home would have its own parking space in close proximity and there would be garages too.

It also details how the existing Gomersal Hall detached house would be demolished to make way for a grand executive house that retains the hall's former outbuilding, private drive, paths and courtyard walling.

This house would also "respect the history of Gomersal Hall in terms of size and form".

The design and access statement adds: "The development aims to create high quality properties which are desirable places to live, whilst maximising the site's potential. the local character and surrounding area have been taken into consideration when developing the layout design."

Members of the public have until March 2 to comment on the proposals and a decision is expected to be made by the end of that month.