Contentious 230-home plan for Calderdale village splits Reform

The scheme on land south-west of Ellistones Lane in Greetland was approved by Calderdale Council’s planning committee yesterday.

The development also includes a £1m contribution towards improving the 343 bus service and traffic signal upgrades at West Vale, which officers say will increase junction capacity by 13 per cent.

The greenfield site, which lies outside the green belt, was allocated for housing in Calderdale’s Local Plan - approved under the previous Labour administration, including by current council leader Council Sutherland before his defection to Reform UK last year.

Residents and campaigners have repeatedly raised concerns over traffic congestion, flooding, and the loss of countryside, with more than 400 written objections.

The application was previously delayed twice following technical objections from Greetland Pressure Group relating to the transport modelling used by officers.

Planning committee chairman Coun Stephen Mycroft was the only Reform councillor to support approval.

The motion was proposed by Coun Katie Kimber (Labour) and seconded by Coun Chris Wadsworth (Liberal Democrats).

Fellow Reform councillors Coun Paul Dale and Coun James Cook voted against the application, while Coun Chris Green, also Reform, abstained.

Applicant Keyland Developments Ltd had warned it would seek legal costs if councillors rejected the scheme and it was subsequently called in by the Housing Secretary.

Among those opposing the development was Dave Paget, who lives on Saddleworth Road, opposite the site.

Speaking after the decision, Mr Paget said he would be unfollowing Reform UK on Facebook because he had expected the party to oppose the plans.

He said traffic on Saddleworth Road was already “diabolical” and raised concerns about pressure on local schools and healthcare services.

The planning committee’s deputy chairman Coun Paul Dale proposed refusing the application on the grounds there was “insufficient evidence” that the development would not have a severe effect on traffic.

But Coun Kimber said she believed there were limited grounds for refusal and questioned whether such a decision would withstand scrutiny if referred to the Housing Secretary.

Coun Wadsworth also warned there was “significant legal precedent” relating to planning decisions based on traffic concerns.

“We need to be confident as a committee that it meets the severe threshold,” he said.

“I cannot see a strong reason for us turning this down a third time at this committee.”

A 118-page officer report argued there was a strong need for additional housing in Calderdale, with the authority currently unable to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.

The report stated Calderdale has less than four years’ worth of deliverable housing land, “demonstrating a manifest shortfall against identified housing requirements”.

The decision comes just a week after Coun Sutherland wrote to Housing Secretary Angela Rayner arguing Calderdale could remove almost half of its allocated housing sites from the Local Plan and still meet revised population projections.