Hipperholme nursery expansion plan to go before government inspector

The hearing into Hipperholme Private Day Nursery’s appeal against Calderdale Council’s refusal of permission to increase its roll from 67 children to 98 at Greenglades, Hipperholme, will be held at The Shay, Shaw Hill, Halifax, from 10am on Wednesday, June 5.

The plans were rejected by Calderdale Council’s Planning Committee a year ago on committee chair Coun Steve Sweeney’s (Lab, Todmorden) casting vote after councillors were split on the decision.

In that meeting residents had expressed concerns about noise created by the youngsters when they were playing outside, and were backed by officers who recommended the plans be refused on grounds of over-intensification of use.

But Coun George Robinson (Con, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe) had asked for the application to be put before councillors and wrote in support of it, praising the nursery, in Denholme Gate Road, Hipperholme, which offered “unique experiences” for youngsters in a forest school type environment.

Planning inspector C. Humphrey will hear the appeal.