People in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, are raising objections to new housing developments as the local council faces increased pressure to meet government building targets. This comes as the authority struggles to find enough land to meet the needs of the growing community.
According to Kirklees Together, the government has increased the local building target to 1,873 new homes every year starting in 2025. This is an increase from the previous goal of 1,730 homes, with officials now required to plan for a total of 35,000 homes by 2043.
Kirklees Council is under significant pressure because it only completed 54 per cent of its required homes for the three-year period ending in 2023. This failure to meet national standards over three years means that the council must now follow rules that favour new developments unless they cause significant and demonstrable harm.
The council currently has enough land to build houses for just under four years, which is below the five-year supply required by the government. This makes it more difficult for officials to turn down planning applications that might have been refused in the past.
Many residents have objected to these building plans, citing concerns about busier roads, crowded schools, and the loss of green spaces. In Netherton, one project in 2020 for 250 homes saw hundreds of people send in complaints to protect the character of their local area and prevent a strain on local doctors.
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