Hundreds of homes on fireworks factory site set for approval

Updated proposals for the construction of hundreds of new homes on the site of a West Yorkshire fireworks factory are recommended for approval later this week (28 April 2021).Empire Knight Group submitted an application to Kirklees Council last year for development on land off Blackmoorfoot Road and Felks Stile Road in Huddersfield.The site includes the Black Cat Fireworks Factory, with manufacturing operations dating back to 1910. The site is allocated for housing in the Kirklees Local plan.Outline planning permission is sought for a development of 770 new homes, including up to 70 care apartments. Affordable homes would makes up about 20 per cent of the properties.The plans also include provision for a doctor’s surgery and 5,400 sq ft commercial unit suitable for a range of uses.A previous application for the site, comprising up to 630 homes and 70 care apartments, was refused planning permission in 2019 due to concerns over viability and density.The application will be considered by the council’s Planning Committee on 28 April and is recommended for approval, subject to conditions, in an officer’s report prepared for the meeting.The report said the new application would be “policy compliant”.It added: “As a local plan site allocation, the principle of residential development is clearly appropriate and the provision of a small local centre and/or community facility/doctors surgery will support future residents subject to demand.”The project team includes Planit-IE, Gerald Eve, Waterman Group, Croft Transport Solutions, Lighthouse Acoustics, Redmore Environmental, Tyler Grange, Campbell Reith, GHEM Consulting, RPS, Redmore Environmental, E3P, UK Networks and UCML.