"The roads are already full": Huddersfield villages fear plans for 110 new homes
The consultation period for 110 new homes in the village of Shepley – proposed by developers The Banks Group – is currently underway.
Last updated 6th Jul 2026
Residents from a Huddersfield village have warned that it “doesn’t have the infrastructure” to support proposals for over 100 new homes.
First validated in 2023 by Kirklees Council, the consultation period for 110 new homes in the village of Shepley – proposed by developers The Banks Group – is currently underway.
The initial proposal seeks to build 71 market properties and 39 affordable and social care houses on land off Eastfield, but it has been met with backlash from current residents who fear that traffic around key areas, like the train station, will become “excessive.”
Group Leader for the Conservatives, Councillor John Taylor, warned that there was a “limit” to how much growth a village could undergo before it stopped “being sustainable.”
“There isn’t an infrastructure here to support the increase in housing; the roads are already full and getting out of the estates is difficult. We don’t have places in the school or the doctor’s surgery. We have had a fair amount of growth over the last few years, and people have welcomed that, but there is a limit.”
Meanwhile, Yvonne Harding – who has lived in the village for most of her life – said she had seen “enough development” in Shepley.
“We have seen enough development in Shepley over the last 40 years. Why do we need an extra one? We don’t.”
Spokespeople for the developers assured that “all aspects” of the proposal were “very carefully” considered.
Jamilah Hassan, community relations manager at The Banks Group, said:
“There is a clear and pressing need to increase the supply of quality homes in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, and across the UK as a whole, both to ensure people have the housing options they need in the places they want to live and to support the wider UK economy’s future growth ambitions.
“Our proposed residential development at Shepley would include 35% of all new homes being dedicated as affordable housing and would provide the new homes required to give more local people and families a greater chance to stay in the village…
“…Alongside the new homes, our Shepley proposals also include the creation of new wildlife habitats and new areas of landscaped public open space, with a 10% biodiversity net gain being delivered on site, and significant contributions towards the enhancement of local healthcare and educational facilities.”
So far, the application has received over 500 formal comments, many of which raise concerns about building on the site. A formal decision is yet to be made, with the comment period ending on Thursday, July 23, 2026.