adj, Ash House, 240, Dunford Road, Holmfirth, HD9 2SJ

1. 1.The proposed development constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt, as it does not fall within any of the exceptions set out in Paragraph 154 and 155 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2024). The proposal would erode a sensitive area of the Green Belt and would undermine the Green Belt’s function in this location. The proposal would fundamentally undermine the purposes of the remaining Green Belt across the area of the plan in this case due to resultant encroachment into open countryside, thereby undermining the purpose of including land within the Green Belt to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment set out in Paragraph 143(c). No very special circumstances have been demonstrated that would clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt and any other harm, and the development is therefore contrary to policies contained within Chapter 13 of the National Planning Policy Framework.
2. 2.The proposed development, by virtue of its design and scale, would not be in keeping with the locality, and would be an incongruous addition to the street scene to the detriment of visual amenity and the setting of the adjacent Conservation Area. The proposal would lead to less than substantial harm to the setting of the Conservation Area, for which no public benefits have been put forward or are considered to exist which could outweigh this harm. The proposed development is therefore contrary to Policies LP24 and LP35 of the Kirklees Local Plan, Principle 2 of the Housebuilders Design Guide SPD and policies within Chapter 12 and 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework.
3. 3.The application provides insufficient information to adequately assess the proposal’s impact upon the protected trees adjacent to the site. Given the failure to submit an Arboricultural Impact Assessment to demonstrate whether the protected trees would be affected by the development, a full and proper assessment in relation to Policy LP33 of the Kirklees Local Plan and policies within Chapter 15 of the National Planning Policy Framework cannot be undertaken. Plans and specifications schedule:- Plan Type Reference Version Date Received Location Plan L01 A 24/03/2026 Existing Site Plan SP01 C 24/03/2026 Proposed Site Plan SP02 H 24/03/2026 Proposed Block Plan BP02 A 24/03/2026 Proposed Dwelling Floor Plans & X01 C 24/03/2026 Elevations Proposed Outline Sections AA & 05 D 24/03/2026 BB Proposed Site Section AA SS01 B 24/03/2026 Proposes Elevations 04 G 24/03/2026 Coloured Elevations 04a F 24/03/2026 Preliminary Ecology Appraisal - - 24/03/2026 Planning and Design Statement - - 24/03/2026 Phase 1 Environmental Desk C5652/25/E/8788 - 24/03/2026 Study & Coal Mining Risk Assessment Application form - - 24/03/2026 Climate Change Statement - - 26/03/2026 Pursuant to article 35 (2) of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) Order 2015 and guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework, the Local Authority have, where possible, made a pre-application advice service available, complied with the Kirklees Development Management Charter 2024 and otherwise actively engaged with the applicant in dealing with the application. No amendments have been sought during the processing of this application, as it was considered that no changes could be made that would adequately address or overcome the identified harm arising from the proposal. Development within a Coal Mining Area DEVELOPMENT LOW RISK AREA - STANDING ADVICE The proposed development lies within a coal mining area which may contain unrecorded coal mining related hazards. If any coal mining feature is encountered during development, this should be reported immediately to the Mining Remediation Authority on 0345 762 6846 or if a hazard is encountered on site call the emergency line 0800 288 4242.

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

HD9 2SJ

Application type

Full

Scale / size

Small

Date validated

26 March 2026

Consultation expiry

16 May 2026

Consultation start

26 March 2026

Consultation end

16 May 2026

Target decision date

21 May 2026

Applicant

Private applicant

Agent address

Unit 12, Oakleigh House, Scandia Hus Business Park, Felcourt Road, East Grinstead, RH19 2LP

Statutory period

56 days

Documents

20