Green light for 400 new homes to be built around Exley Lane at Elland despite concerns by residents and Elland ward councillors

Avant Homes North Yorkshire and J S Morton & Sons will build the housing on land north and south of Exley Lane at Elland, close to Park Works at Park Road.

Councillors granted full permission for 306 of the homes on part of the site which is north of Exley Lane and outline planning permission – covering access only at this stage – for 130 homes, and creation of a new access, on land which is to the south of Exley Lane.

The plans were opposed including by some residents and by all three Elland ward councillors, who highlighted concerns about design, highway safety, pedestrian routes and flooding.

Calderdale Council’s Planning Committee were told by planning officers recommending approval that not delivering homes on the site, allocated for housing in the borough’s Local Plan approved two years ago, would have a “severe” impact on the borough being able to meet its housing needs.

Committee members had deferred a decision in April, asking for improvements to be made including design, and this time around a majority were satisfied their concerns had been met.

Objector James Roberts said reports about pedestrian routes, including from Active Travel England which had raised concerns, and West Yorkshire Fire Service over emergency access, had not been received.

A traffic light and signalling scheme risked blocking traffic and causing it to back-up on the Elland bypass were a risk.

Pedestrians on some parts of the new estate faced lengthy walking distances from the town’s proposed new rail station and bus stops.

And there was a key issue relating to ownership status of a road which risked embroiling the council in a costly legal case, said Mr Roberts, who also said the plans showed poor layout and design of housing.

Also objecting, on behalf of ward councillors including Coun Angie Gallagher (Lab) and Coun Peter Hunt (Con), Coun David Veitch (Lab) echoed concerns about pedestrian routes and highways issues.

“On pedestrianisation, the scheme proposed is inadequate to the point of dangerous,” he said, citing one stretch which did not have a footpath on one side with people having to cross.

He agreed with Mr Roberts over key plans for the junction of Exley Road and Park Road: “The development will have an unacceptable impact on highway safety,” said Coun Veitch.

Flood risk assessments did not provide “robust” information, including addressing issues including amounts of water running off the site onto Plains Lane and down onto Park Road, shown by “numerous and significant” flooding events.

“Residents need assurances that increased surface water drainage from the site doesn’t overflow into the canal or river, increasing the risk of overtopping,” said Coun Veitch.

Responding, consultant Mark Watson said surveying work had been undertaken and shown to the flood authorities – flood risk was known and responses formed part of drainage and flooding assessments.

“There’s a separate network of swales and the overland pond features which will capture that overland flow and follow it back into the culvert at a controlled rate,” he said.

Highways officers said the junction in question had been fully assessed and emergency access would be ensured in the detailed designs, for example by use of restrictive bollards for which emergency services would be keyholders.

A pragmatic approach was taken in terms of the “gold standard” of pedestrian travel distances to bus stops and other aspects.

Officers said they were satisfied the road in disputed ownership was a highway and confident pedestrian access points would be onto an existing highway people had used for many years.

Planning councillors asked questions about these issues and more, including conditions which would be imposed over drainage and flood risk, and also about housing type, including homes which are accessible to less able residents.

Chris Megson, regional planning manager for Avant Homes, said improvements to pedestrian access, materials to be used and the proportion of accessible homes had all been made since the deferred decision.

Affordable housing of the type sought by the council meant the mix included 61 of the homes, with 30 built being for “affordable rent” and 31 to be sold via shared ownership arrangements.

“It really is critical the development can come forward on allocated sites promptly to deliver the new homes needed to support Calderdale,” he said.

Coun Howard Blagbrough (Con, Brighouse) proposed the plans be rejected, saying “I’m still really not happy in relation to the highway situation, the flooding and the intensification on this particular site” and, supporting him, Coun David Kirton (Con, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe) said he thought highways impact might be “horrendous.”

But the majority of councillors supported approving the plans with conditions and legal agreements – which would see around £480,000 spent on reducing carbon emissions, public rights of way and woodland improvement and sustainable travel, though officers deemed nothing is required from the developer for health, education or other potential sport and leisure needs.

Given amended conditions in place, Coun Jonathan Timbers (Lab, Calder) said homes were needed, particularly including the accessible and affordable ones, and decisions had to be balanced, weighing considerations against each other.

“It is not a perfect site but it was allocated in the Local Plan and approved by the Planning Inspectorate, so I don’t think there is a reasonable basis for refusal.

“I can’t see there is any huge basis on which to refuse or defer this application,” he said.