Mirfield anti-housing campaigners get second chance to overturn contentious scheme

But they are concerned that, despite coming up with new evidence, councillors will simply “rubber stamp” the plan to create homes on an ancient flood plain in Mirfield.

Kirklees Council said the process will be “open and transparent”.

Wakefield-based Miller Homes wants to build 67 homes on meadowland off Granny Lane at Hopton Bottom.

The land, which was allocated for housing as part of the council’s controversial Local Plan, is close to the River Calder and regularly floods.

In December last year members of Kirklees Council’s Strategic Planning Committee voted in favour of the development.

Campaigners criticised the decision arguing that key evidence had been disregarded, which allowed the plan to be pre-determined.

Now, after taking advice from a litigation lawyer and threatening to take the case to Judicial Review if it was not reconsidered, they will make a renewed attempt to persuade the committee to dismiss the scheme.

Cheryl Tyler, speaking on behalf of campaign groups Granny Lane Area Action Group (GLAAG) and Save Mirfield, said: “The Granny Lane application is going back to committee on October 14.

“This is unusual and has happened because we told the legal departmen that we would be taking it to Judicial Review.

“Hopefully we will have another opportunity to put our case to the committee members who were, in our view, misled last time.

“We have been told that it will be going back with a recommendation for approval, which is unsurprising.

“My fear is that this may be seen and projected by the planning department as a simple ‘rubber stamping’ exercise.

“It will be up to the committee to make some decisions on the day based on what is now before them and we hope that they will use their discretion carefully.”

A Kirklees Council spokesperson said: “When local people raise concerns we always listen and take them seriously.

“Since this application was approved in December 2019, Kirklees was badly hit by flooding in both February and March 2020.

“With this in mind, and having listened to other concerns raised by residents, we have referred the decision back to Strategic Planning Committee on October 14 so it can assess all of the issues relating to this application and make a decision in an open and transparent way.”