COUNCILLORS have agreed the detail behind their reasons for refusing planning permission for homes to be built at a former quarry site.

In December Calderdale Council planning councillors rejected Strata Homes’ proposals to build 174 new homes at the former Southedge Quarry at Brighouse Road, Hipperholme, with concerns over moving contaminated waste and the impact on a key traffic junction.

They were worried about contaminated material being moved from one part of the site to another and remediating it before building new homes, and the impact resulting traffic movements might have on road junctions at Hipperholme and Brighouse, with the former regularly resulting in tailbacks.

But planning officers, who had recommended the scheme be approved subject to planning conditions and a legal agreement, warned them that reasons needed to be precise and specific if they were to be defended if the decision was appealed.

When the council’s Planning Committee met this week they agreed the wording of their reasons for refusing the plans.

They said in the case of concerns about contaminated land being moved that practical and effective site measures have not been demonstrated without placing the development and its users and adjoining land at risk.

This risk would come from the potential contaminants arising from the historic landfill use and the proposal is therefore considered to conflict with the council’s planning policy.

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Councilllors also agreed regarding highways concerns that the proposed development does not take into account the potential impacts on transport networks, provide for the safe and efficient movement by pedestrians, vehicles and cyclists.

In particular there will be severe residual cumulative impacts on the Hipperholme crossroads and as such the proposal would be contrary to council planning policy.

Finally, councillors agreed their third reason for refusal, that the proposal will result in unacceptable air pollution as a result of increased traffic volumes and impact on the nearby Air Quality Management Area, and therefore was also not in accord with the council’s planning policy.