Councillors were today being urged to give planning approval for a £1 million accommodation block on Green Belt land in Mirfield.

Holly Bank Trust, which runs Holly Bank Special School, wants to build the residential complex - made up of 18 bedrooms in three bungalow-style sections - for young people with severe physical and learning difficulties.

Planning officers at Kirklees Council say such developments are not normally allowed on green belt but an exception should be made because of the "very special circumstances''.

Planning officer Edward Wills says the planned building needs to be close to the main school to allow supervision of young people with special needs and the site is the nearest available.

He recommends the heavy woollen area sub-committee to approve the application.

If councillors agree the application will go to Environment Secretary John Prescott for a decision as Green Belt land is involved.

The original plan was to put the single-storey building on another piece of land next to the school but this was scrapped after two disused mine shafts were discovered.

The development is the second phase of the Rooftops complex, which provides residential accommodation for pupils from all over the country to help them make the transition to life in the community after they leave the school.

Paul Walsh, the Rooftops project manager, said: "If we had started building work and discovered the mine shafts it would have cost an awful lot of money to make them safe so we had to look for another site.''

The previous site also included trees protected by a preservation order and a public sewer which could not be diverted. Mr Wills says the new site will have less impact on the green belt because it is at a lower level.

"The presence of existing trees and the planting of additional trees will provide screening, further lessening the impact on the green belt,'' he said.

The Council has received two letters of objection from people living near the school concerned about the affect on the Green Belt and its siting adjacent to a listed building. Mr Walsh said the plan to open the new block in September may have to be put back because of the delay in gaining planning approval.

Each section of the new complex will have six en suite bedrooms, a communal larger bathroom, kitchen, dining room and a conservatory-style lounge.

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