Locals have serious concerns about the state of Local democracy having watched the Kirklees webcast video recording of a Council Meeting on 26th February where Councillors were required to vote on the plan for 31,000 new houses, allocation of Industrial Sites and a Traveller Site at Birstall J27.

With still an hour left for the meeting to run, Labour closed the debate and moved to the vote even though there were many left being unable to speak on this incredibly important matter. Those in charge of chairing the meeting wouldn’t even let Councillors, who have been voted into seats by the very people that this will affect have their say.

They didn’t want to listen. This has been noted by two attendees and by all able to watch the webcast. 

This petition calls for an entire revision of the plan taking into account ALL councillors sentiments on the issue.

and takes down many vital oxygen providing trees which are located on the M62 corridor.  

There has been little consideration towards infrastructure including roads and school places. Congestion is already a massive issue for all road users & commuters journeying through Birstall. 

The current proposed plan sets out to destroy  a municipal golf course at Bradley and place a Traveller Site at Birstall J27 in a location at which the Council currently receives an annual business rate income of c£7.5m.

There is already a Traveller Site within 2.3 miles of the proposed new site. 

Labour councillors stated that even after this, there would still be 69% of land maintained as green belt. The ratio of green belt to CO2 emissions from stand still traffic and the added carbon footprint of over £31k residences is not a fair and balanced ratio.

Residents like those of Cllr Lisa Holmes in Gomersal, will now see the green fields at Cliffe Lane ripped up and an already overdeveloped area of Gomersal & will have to deal with EXTRA pressures including additional traffic and the need for more school places, doctors surgery places and dental surgery places. In an area where employed tax paying parents already struggle to battle through traffic to get to their children’s after school clubs and nurseries on time, an addition to traffic will have a serious knock on effect for the area.

Every single signature on this petition fundamentally disagrees with the decision & stands to request the overturn of what appears to be an unfair, and severely undemocratic decision for our local area. Local being a fair distance from Huddersfield I might add. 

Our children & future generations will have to deal with the consequences of what happened during the meeting in Huddersfield which decided the fate of Birstall. 

Depreciation in house value is usually seen when the socio-economic status of an area is reduced. Negative equity could become a reality for many new homeowners in the area. 

The votes are as below - that said many Councillors did not have the opportunity to express their concerns as the meeting was un-democratically cut short by an hour. 

Labour - For
Liberal Democrat - Against
Conservatives - Against
Greens - Abstain
An independent - Abstain

Batley & Spen do not have the school places, police staffing, hospital resources, NHS dental places, commuter patience for longer journeys or desires to have the community.

We acknowledge that it is important for travellers to have a base allowing their children access to schools, but feel J27 retail park is not the place. Gelderd Road is already severely congested. It’s unkind to the Travelling community to base them near reasturants, a 24 hour McDonald’s, a rodent problem, and the pollution playground that is the M62. A better place could be found to meet the needs of all.