Councillor Martin Hey has urged residents and business to participate in the consultation on the Local Plan to help reduce damage to the environment and avoid overwhelming already congested roads and local services.
The Local Plan has gone out to an eight week consultation again from 12 August 2022 to 7 October 2022. It envisages building about 15,000 new homes across Calderdale, half on green spaces.
This includes a public green space in Martin Hey’s ward, Horley Green in Claremount, which the Council has earmarked for a housing development, despite a strong and highly regarded bid by residents to transform it into a much needed community recreational and wildlife space.
Martin Hey said there was already a ‘mountain of evidence’ on the ‘massive’ damage the plans would have on the local area which was being ignored; so residents should prioritise speaking ‘from the heart’ in the consultation to ensure Calderdale Council understood the strength of feeling opposing the plans.
He has called for the Local Plan to be revised to reduce the number of houses built, protect green spaces including Horley Green, ensure a third of new houses are affordable homes, and introduce criteria for property developers to build green homes.
For more information on the consultation go to Last steps for the Local Plan. If you would like to speak to Martin about the plans email him at martin.hey@calderdale.greenparty.org.uk.