Bid rejected to reverse decision over Calderdale housing plan on green space

Opposition councillors called in Labour-controlled Calderdale Council Cabinet’s decision to release the land at Horley Green, Halifax, to develop up to 29 new homes, a portion of which will be affordable, through partnership with Together Housing.

Coun Roger Taylor (Ind, Northowram and Shelf) said it was “the last green lung in Claremount” and Coun Regan Dickenson (Con, Rastrick) disputed the notion that the land’s amenity value to the community was “negligible”.

An amendment proposed by Coun Paul Bellenger (Lib Dem, Greetland and Stainland) and seconded by Place Scrutiny Board Chair Coun Peter Caffery (Con, Northowram and Shelf) to ask Cabinet to consider a more balanced scheme with elements of both failed by one vote, instead Cabinet’s decision being released for implementation.

Nicole Jones, of Friends of Horley Green, said their proposals met both Government manifesto commitments and the council’s Vision 2024.

“Both the Government and Calderdale have set their sights on building back better, fairer, greener and healthier.

“Our plans are targeted to expand the space to support the Active Calderdale missions and goals.

“This space is ideal to make physical activity embedded in the day to day life within the area.

“Our plans prevented further negative impacts of the climate change emergency which is being declared as Calderdale Council’s number one priority.

“With a wealth of true brownfield sites in the borough, it is very difficult to comprehend why the council would want to concrete over the last green space for residential use in Claremount when there are alternative options,” she said.

Cabinet member for Climate Change and Resilience, Coun Scott Patient (Lab, Luddenden Foot), acknowledged a lot of impressive work had gone into the asset transfer case.

“But the reality is that central government are tasking us to deliver ‘x’ amount of housing through the Local Plan process and through the housing delivery process as well,” he said, adding that the cost of developing some many ex-industrial brownfield sites meant it was not always possible.

The need for homes was extensive with 400 housing applicants in the near vicinity of the site alone, said Coun Patient.

He said that, as at the under way Beech Hill site at Halifax, where a residents liaison board had been set up, aspects of the group’s plan could be incorporated – the issue should be looked at as a borough-wide one with this among of a number of sites the Together/Calderdale partnership was planning to develop.

Coun Steven Leigh (Con, Ryburn) said the asset transfer plan had not been given the attention it deserved at Cabinet and Coun Stephen Baines (Con, Northowram and Shelf) said of Claremount: “This is the only piece of land that hasn’t been developed – is that fair on this community?”

The council’s Director of Regeneration and Strategy, Shelagh O’Neill, reminded members the authority had not been meeting government house building targets for a number of years and risked losing some of its planning powers if this continued.

But Coun Caffrey said, given the strength of what was a detailed, high quality asset transfer application: “I get annoyed about this – we have led Friends of Horley Green up the garden path.

“You can have an asset transfer granted by one part of the council, demolished by a 15-minute Cabinet meeting. I find that absolutely appalling,” he said.