PLANS have been submitted for a proposed new mega-warehouse close to Chain Bar, which it is believed could be an Amazon facility.

An application has been submitted to Kirklees Council to build the huge storage and distribution warehouse on land between Whitehall Road, Whitechapel Road and the M62 between Scholes and Cleckheaton.

The plans would see the greenfield site replaced with a 23-metre tall, 265,706 sq metre warehouse, with hundreds of parking spots for lorries and other vehicles and a bus terminal for a “private shuttle service for staff”.

It is believed that online retail giant Amazon is behind the plans, which have been submitted by Bristol-based ISG Retail, but Amazon has declined to comment on speculation around the site.

The site, while greenfield, has been allocated for development for employment in the Kirklees Local Plan, and the proposals say that the new warehouse would create 1,500 jobs for the area in a range of areas including engineering, IT, management and shop floor, as well as creating 800 jobs during the construction phase.

In the plans it says: “The proposal demonstrates a positive opportunity to enable and encourage the growth of business investment and new job creation on a major allocated employment site in Cleckheaton.

“The new development will provide an increase in jobs in the local area both during construction and while in use. This will stimulate a positive economic change for the local area.”

A number of objections have already been made by local residents; during the pre-application process the plans proved unpopular with a significant chunk of residents in nearby Scholes and Cleckheaton. However, a fair percentage of people also welcomed the investment in the town and creation of hundreds of jobs.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Objections have surrounded around the increased volume of traffic at Chain Bar and around Cleckheaton and Scholes the development would cause, and the knock-on impact of added pollution and loss of green space.

One objector said: “The Chain Bar intersection on the M62 is heavily used throughout the day and at peak periods is stationary with queuing traffic on the approaches to and from Cleckheaton and from Bradford on the M606 and Low Moor.

“Pollution is significant. The improvements recently made have been negated. The additional traffic generated by this development will add significantly to this congestion and reduce air quality further.

“This development will add significantly to traffic movements and pollution.”

Another added: “I am a Scholes resident and the traffic both through and surrounding the village already surpasses capacity.

“The area is regularly a stand still whenever there is a delay in the motorway both at the entrance and exit from Chain Bar roundabout and also through the village.

“The field itself regularly floods and spills over onto the A58 which causes enormous traffic chaos as people cannot access or exit Chain Bar roundabout on this side.

“The local road system was designed to serve a small rural village which was once all farm and mill traffic and therefore it simply cannot serve a development of this size.

“In addition, there is a heritage footpath through the middle of the proposed site which myself and my family use regularly and this is also used as a green corridor by local wildlife. Foxes, deer, heron, grouse and ducks are all regularly spotted in the field and these green corridors should be protected to protect our local eco system and the heritage footpath.”