From George Murphy

Tuesday, 19 June 2012

A planning application has been resubmitted for 22 houses on land close to Hebden Bridge Station. An application has been made by Revegate, owners of a narrow strip of land between the river and the railway line. Two years ago an application for 27 units was turned down. Local residents complained that the single track Mayroyd Lane and the old stone bridge below the weir could not sustain a large increase in vehicle traffic. The route is used by ramblers, cyclists and train commuters. The increased traffic would also have to drive through the busy and narrow stonemasons yard. Hebweb had previously reported concerns about damage to trees and wildlife.

From Rev Tony Buglass

Wednesday, 20 June 2012

Any development along there would lead to increased traffic seeking to exit onto Burnley Road via Carr Lane, hidden very dangerously behind Walkley's Mill. Very bad news.

From Anthony Rae

Thursday, 21 June 2012

Just to provide some reassurance. This is the site and almost identical proposal which, in what I think was the almost the last battle of the Save Mayroyd Action Group, we got turned down around a decade ago. The very last one was to get Mayroyd included in the Green Belt, and therefore …

If you compare the application's location plan here with the UDP map here you'll see that the site's in Green Belt, and therefore the application can't succeed because it would be inappropriate development in the GB, notwithstanding the fact that the new National Planning Guidance slightly widens the categories of what might be permitted - see NPPF paragraph 89 last bullet point.

Please note the site is not in Crows Nest Woods, nor would it involve any significant tree cutting.

Also – as noted by others – access along Mayroyd Lane is inadequate, and the reason the Action Group supported the conversion of Mayroyd Mill to residential – apart from getting that redundant building back into use – was to both permanently sterilise the development opportunity at that end of the main Mayroyd site (where previously Revegate were trying to get a garden centre) and to 'fill up' the capacity on the Lane so that no other development could proceed nearby.

I would hope that Calderdale officers will turn this new application down without it going to Planning Committee but we'll being keeping an eye on that.

At the other end of Mayroyd Revegate's proposal to resume large scale retailing in the Walkley's Clogs building – by seeking the backdoor route of a 'lawful development certificate', to which the Action Group has strongly objected – is still being reviewed by the planners. In our view the evidence doesn't support the case for an LDC, and granting it would take everybody right back to all the problems cause by Mark Clyndes' misguided attempts in the 1990s to develop a major retail retail use in an unsuitable location. We trust Calderdale Council will heed these warnings.

From Nicola Jones

Thursday, 21 June 2012

Anthony is correct, if you visit the Calderdale Planning pages to see this application, you will see the associated/previous submissions. Most recently almost two years to the day.

The last application was refused on 9 separate accounts. This submission appears to have simply reduced the planning from 27 units to 22 units.

Please take the time to submit comment online/in writing to Calderdale. All previous refusal points are precisely as they were in June 2010.

In addition, they 'hacked' the trees earlier that year to support their 'brochureware' to effect a look of derelict/sparse 'brownsite'. Which clearly two years on and amidst the current temperate weather - more verdant and abundant with wildlife than ever. I will be trying to evidence my own 'brochureware' to the Council of recent photographic evidence and would welcome anyone with any professional capacity to do this to join me. Perhaps we could organise a nature trail for the younger community to spot just who has taken up residence, with or without the landowner's permission!

From Andrea Turpin

Friday, 22 June 2012

How many times is he Revegate going to keep attempting to develop this piece of land? He's like a Yorkshire Terrier he doesnt let go! How can 22 houses with a turning circle, parking and gardens possibly work on 'greenfield' land, which is an urban area of cycle paths and walkers routes. We have potholes in Mayroyd Lane - totally inadequate for more vehicles, two cars cannnot pass without reversing downhill. Outside the stonemason's it becomes flooded when it downpours. What about the disturbance or end of life for the abundance of wildlife and habitat - otters, dormice, heron and kingfisher, and the destruction of mature trees which happened a few years ago by developers to try and make the site look barren,

From Martin F

Sunday, 24 June 2012

I must admit that I was surprised to get the letter telling me about the latest development.

When I read the reasons why the last application was turned down I remember saying to a friend that the grounds for refusal were so fundamental that no future application could succeed.

I hope I was right!

From Chris Pogue

Sunday, 24 June 2012

The cycle path was completely flooded last night I wonder if the proposed plan has these dwellings on stilts.

I objected last time and will be doing so again. There is a lot of traffic already using the pot holed road that goes under the train station and passes the stone masons, I get the feeling people don't like their cars who use that road regularly.

Every time it rains it is like a river down that road.

From Peter N

Thursday, 25 October 2012

To conclude this story - This proposal was refused by Calderdale Council a couple of months ago, apparently for the same reasons as the same long list of reasons as the previous application. This is clearly a most unsuitable site for this kind of development.