Calderdale Local Plan: Details revealed of how thousands of homes will be built in part of Calderdale

Calderdale Council cabinet members have agreed supplementary “masterplan” planning and design code documents – which will be used to shape garden communities at Thornhills and Woodhouse near Brighouse – should go out to public consultation.

Around 3,000 new homes are likely to be built across the two communities.

Leader of Calderdale Council, Coun Jane Scullion, said the documents were “absolutely key, because they involve a lot of new build".

"They provide additional guidance for developers and others. If these are adopted following consultation, then the supplementary planning documents will become a ‘material consideration’ to be taken into account when determining planning applications.”

For example, the council’s planning committee could use these to turn down designs that were not of the quality the council required, she said.

She went on to say the aim at Thornhills is for the community centre to be developed in the early phases of building, led by the council, while a nursery, farm shop and cafe would be delivered by the private sector.

“There’s also an area of land that is safeguarded within the plan for provision of a primary school and the council will lead on the delivery of that school,” added Coun Scullion.

Building could start as early as next year, with Woodhouse expected to be completed by 2034 and Thornhills by 2039, say the papers.

Coun Martin Hey (Green, Northowram and Shelf) raised concerns about his ward where hundreds of homes could also be built.

"We continue to have a situation in Shelf where the village hall remains shut, the pavilion in the park is shut and the bowling green in the park is derelict.

“Can the cabinet guarantee that as part of any additional development in Shelf, funding will be provided to re-open these community spaces in a timely fashion and guarantee the ongoing operation?”

Coun Silvia Dacre (Lab, Todmorden), cabinet member for Resources, said the council was entitled to ask developers applying for planning permission to make contributions towards local facilities, and Calderdale would be seeking to do this.