Amazon warehouse plans near M62 in Scholes just 'don't add up'

Councillor Matt Edwards, who recently visited the intended site in Scholes near Cleckheaton, believes the proposal “takes far more from the community than it will give back”.

He attended in his capacity as national transport spokesperson for the Green Party, meeting campaigners from the Save Our Spen group.

An artist's impression of the planned Amazon warehouse in Scholes. Picture: ISG Retail (Image: ISG Retail)

Amazon intends to build a fulfilment centre on 59 acres of farmland between Whitehall Road, Whitechapel Road and the M62, creating up to 2,400 jobs on the site.

Cllr Edwards said: “It was very useful to meet with the Save Our Spen Group to hear from them directly the issues this massive 24-hour warehouse development will create for the residents of Scholes and anyone that uses Chain Bar.

“Anyone that uses Chain Bar will know local that roads are already at capacity and what Amazon are proposing will bring an additional 44 trucks an hour – one every 81 seconds! The air pollution issues this will bring are really concerning – especially when Kirklees Council has already acknowledged there is already a problem in this area.

The fields in Scholes where Amazon wants to build a new warehouse.Pictures: Matt Edwards/Google Maps/ISG Retail (Image: Matt Edwards/Google Maps/ISG Retail)

“There is no consideration whatsoever for providing any public transport or useful active travel measures to the people who will be working here. It is an all-around bad proposal and one that takes far more from the community then it will give back.

“So much about this just doesn’t add up.”

The application to Kirklees Council is currently the subject of a formal intervention by National Highways, which has called for a critical traffic assessment to be fully completed before a decision is made.

READ MORE

• Amazon agents were liaising with Council one year before scheme was public
• ​Confirmation that massive warehouse will be run by Amazon

A spokesperson for Save Our Spen said: “Cllr Edwards shares our concerns that Amazon are simply trying to get too much from the site, the application is almost double the size allocated by Kirklees Council in the Local Plan.

“Whilst 44 truck movements per hour are quoted by Amazon, we believe the real number will be significantly higher, there are 89 loading bays and 191 HGV parking spaces, the numbers simply don’t add up!

“There is little or no infrastructure to support a development of this size and scale in the area and with developments in Oakenshaw still to be completed, we fear Chain Bar and the M62 will be brought to a standstill even more frequently than it currently is, forcing traffic through the surrounding towns and villages."

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