Plans to build more than 160 houses near to Wakefield village refused
Wakefield Council planners rejected proposals to build the homes on farmland near to Pope Street, Altofts.
Plans to build 164 homes near to a village in Wakefield have been refused.
Wakefield Council planners rejected proposals to build the homes on farmland near to Pope Street, Altofts.
Officers said the site was “outside of a defined urban area” and had not been allocated for housing in the authority’s Local Plan, which sets out the blueprint for development across the district.
A previous application to build homes on the land was rejected in 2020, when the council said the scheme “would not maintain a clear definition of the village boundary.”
A total of 108 objections were made over the latest application by Avant , including those from district councillors, Normanton Town Council and community group Residents Against Increased Developments in Altofts.
The house builder’s proposals included a mix of one to four-bedroom homes at the 5.8 hectare site, along with 16 affordable properties.
The scheme also included the demolition of agricultural buildings at Bridgeland Grange Farm.
A planning statement submitted on behalf of Avant said: “The scheme will provide a range of family houses in one of the most sustainable settlements in the district that will widen home ownership and help meet the needs of present and future generations in a well-designed and safe environment.”
Objectors said the development would add to traffic problems in the area as Pope Street was already used as a “rat run”
Other concerns were raised over the loss of more green space in the area and the lack of local infrastructure, including places at schools, doctors and dentists, to accommodate more housing.
An objection from Jo Hewpworth, Josie Pritchard and Jacquie Speight, councillors for Altofts and Whitwood ward, said: “The roads around Altofts are already struggling to deal with traffic volumes and especially since the building of City Fields, which is not even complete yet.
“Cars are often parked on both sides of Pope Street and more traffic exiting on to this road will create further safety hazards.”
Normanton Town Council said: “The proposed development poses risks to the quality of life for existing residents, including increased noise, pollution, and traffic hazards.
“The planning application fails to adequately address how these adverse impacts will be mitigated.”
An officer’s report said 1,774 homes had already been allocated at other sites in the Altofts and Normanton area under the Local Plan, which was adopted by the council in January 2024.
It added: “It is therefore considered that the local need is met by existing housing allocations and the proposal would cause harm by compromising the spatial development strategy and reducing the sustainability of the spatial distribution of housing growth within this part of the district in particular.”
In July last year, the council’s planning and highways committee approved Taylor Wimpey’s plans to build 400 homes in the village, off Wharfedale Drive.
Three months later, Avant was given consent to build 83 properties on an adjacent site.