Controversial plans for 181 homes rejected

PERMISSION FOR DEVELOPMENT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SECURED THEN QUASHED BY JUDICIAL REVIEW

- By ABIGAIL MARLOW

HUGELY controversial plans for a 181-home development near Dewsbury have been turned down by Kirklees Council's Strategic Planning Committee.

The plot of land makes up part of a much larger development plan split across two sites referred to as “Chid-swell and Heybeck”. Combined, the land is earmarked for around 1,500 homes. Thursday's application was concerned with the smaller Heybeck site and sought outline planning permission for up to 181 homes.

The circumstances surrounding this application were unusual as outline planning permission had been secured back in October 2024. However, permission was quashed in a judicial review which was pursued by local campaigners from the Chidswell Action Group (CAG) who have spent years fighting against the plans. This was on the grounds Kirklees Council had failed to publish the Section 106 agreements in advance of the planning permission.