Relocation of historic Kirklees cross turned down by planning committee
It comes after a community campaign to get the historic Oakenshaw Cross returned to its original location
The Oakenshaw Cross has reached a “milestone in its journey home” as unpopular plans for its relocation were rejected by Kirklees’ District-wide Planning Committee.
Originally erected in 1702 by Dr Richard Richardson in memory of his wife, the Grade II Listed cross was previously located at the junction of Wyke Lane, Cross Street, and Sykes Lane in Oakenshaw. It was removed by the council in 2022 after being struck by several vehicles and has remained in storage ever since.
Over the years, the community has fought to try and get the cross repaired and reinstated in its original position. But the council had another plan, seeking permission to move the cross to a new location. The local authority had wanted to install the cross on a grassy verge on Cross Street, which sits around 20 metres to the north/north-west of its original location.
Supporting documents on behalf of Kirklees Council said that the cross’ original location was given first preference but studies showed that this would pose a risk to the long-term conservation of the cross and cause “unacceptable” highways safety risks.
But locals, who demonstrated their strength of feeling at Thursday’s (January 29) meeting of the District-wide Planning Committee, begged to differ. Speaking on behalf of a resident living on Wyke Lane, Katie Dingle, referenced an increase in the volume and speed of traffic using the route which is said to have worsened since the cross’s removal.
She said: “We would really welcome the return of the cross to its original site, both for historical purposes and for traffic calming. Our village is being lost to industrial units springing up left, right and centre. As residents, we feel very strongly about retaining our village history for ourselves and for future generations.
“Additional traffic calming measures must be factored in here when deciding whether to return the cross in its original position, which is absolutely preferred, or to move it. To not factor in traffic calming would be a huge failure on the part of Kirklees Council.”
Colin Berry, from the Spen Valley Civic society, said: “Apart from the last few years, the cross has survived intact and unharmed. It has iconic status throughout Spen Valley. The three incidents of damage, as recorded in the officer’s report, are all of relatively recent origin and caused by large vehicles, as witnessed by local residents.
“Highway safety is clearly very important but it is not resolved by the removal of the cross. Quite the opposite – the cross actually serves as a safeguard for highway safety by slowing down the traffic.”
All three ward councillors – Kath Pinnock, John Lawson and Andrew Pinnock – attended the meeting, speaking against the plans and in support of locals. Councillor Kath Pinnock pointed out that the monument is one of just a few in the country that is dedicated to a woman. She also highlighted a council policy which states that the local authority recognises pride of place as a “fundamental value”, as well as the unique identities of Kirklees’ towns and villages.
She said: “The cross is Oakenshaw. It sets it apart from other places on the outskirts of Bradford, right on the boundary with Kirklees. Moving it to a position where it isn’t visible removes that impact and is sending a message to the village that this icon that’s been there for more than 300 years is not important, and therefore villagers aren’t important either, and Oakenshaw is not important either. How is that recognising pride of place?”
When the matter was discussed by the committee, most members were strongly of the view that the cross needed to be reinstated in its original location, with additional highways safety measures put in place, though councillors Munir Ahmed (Labour, Dalton) and Eric Firth (Labour, Dewsbury East) disagreed.
Members refused the application on the grounds of the impact that would be caused by repositioning a heritage asset, its historical significance and the archaeological foundations present where the cross was originally sited.
Following the meeting, Cllr Lawson, said: “We’re delighted that the plan to move the location of the historic Oakenshaw Cross was overwhelmingly refused by committee.
“Residents, councillors and The Civic Society all gave passionate, compelling arguments as to why the Listed Monument should be reinstated in its original position. We were delighted that committee agreed with us in their deliberations and voted overwhelmingly to refuse the proposal to move Oakenshaw Cross.
“The community has worked tirelessly for the last three years to return this iconic monument back to the place it belongs. This result is another milestone in its journey home.”