Dear Local Resident,
Thank you for signing the “Do you want to Protect Castle Hill?” 3,437 local residents have now signed the petition.
If 3,500 signatures sign this petition, I will look to send it to Kirklees Council & Historic England. Please share this petition with your friends via email, Facebook and Twitter if you have not already done so.
Work on a new cafe & visitor centre for Castle Hill is set to begin within 3 years. This is because planning permission was granted by Kirklees Council for the Thandi Brothers about 18 months ago. The Council has now laid down strict instructions on construction.
I will continue to campaign for you and local residents against Kirklees Council allowing the building of a Restaurant/Hotel: the design of which looks more like a “McDonalds” branch in Greenbelt land on Castle Hill.
The destruction of the original pub near 17 years ago was caused by breaking planning law. Now Kirklees Council are allowing the build on a national monument next to the listed historic building Castle Hill. There are consequences for wildlife, parking provisions, road access and local environment if this is allowed to go ahead.
Nobody knows what happened to the original Yorkshire stone of the pub, which was an important feature of the building.
Having listened to local residents there may be a need for public toilet provision and possibly beverages served up there and this application, according to residents, is not the answer.
Many Residents in favour of building on Castle Hill think it will be like the Castle Hill Pub 17 years ago but many do not realise that the plan looks nothing like the original Pub and those in favour believe that it will be a Pub when it will be restaurant.
I campaigned for the barrier up at Castle Hill to stop the anti-social behaviour at night such as dogging, noise, fires, fireworks, littering etc. The gate is now up and is closing at night. Feedback from Friends of Castle Hill group has shown that the barrier has reduced considerably the amount litter on the Hill. What will happen to the barrier if the plans go ahead?
P.S No building work can start unless Historic England give scheduled Monument consent. Huddersfield Civic Society has concerns over inappropriate development over a very important heritage site and are continuing to lobby Historic England. So again please share this petition if you have not done so. It seems with Kirklees Council ploughing ahead, that only Historic England can stop this.
Thank You
Cllr Bernard McGuin - Almondbury Ward Councillor
Facebook: facebook.com/bernard.mcguin Email: b.mcguin@ntlworld.com Website:bernardmcguin.wordpress.com Twitter:twitter.com/terrierfree