Third proposal for caravan site on greenbelt riles local residents
Plans for a controversial caravan park situated on a Yorkshire greenbelt have finally been given the goahead following years of debate.
As previously reported on CaravanTimes, plans for the controversial Hepstonall caravan site faced opposition and were subsequently rejected in 2013 and 2014. However, the plans are now back in place – and they’re causing a stir amongst residents amidst fears that a new caravan site could cause damage to the greenbelt and agricultural land, as well as increase traffic within the picturesque area.
Of the newly accepted proposal, councillor Janet Battye explained her opposition, saying: “My objections to this application continue to be because I have serious concerns about the impact of putting a caravan site in a visible place on top of the horizon in this wonderful landscape.
“And because of the number of vehicles it will draw either up Lee Wood Road which has been narrowed because of flood damage, or through the old village of Heptonstall,” Battye continued.
“The applicant is proposing to lower the height of the fields by excavating nearly two metres of subsoil, this itself could cause unintended damage to the subsoil and drainage and I believe that the countryside should not be tampered with in this way. The work involved in doing this could cause further damage to local roads.”
But it’s not just councillors who are objecting. A number of comments have been left on Calderdale Council‘s planning website by vexed Heptonstall residents, expressing their aversion to the new site.
Sue Meniconi, from Heptonstall, wrote: “I am appalled by this application for a number of reasons.
The main reason is the possibility of a change from a green belt to brown field site and the myriad of problems this would create.
“Both access points to the village are already busy and further traffic would cause immense damage to the cobbles and Lee Wood road.”
But one of the applicants, Steve Holt, fought back, saying: “I believe Calderdale should be promoting projects like this for tourism and promoting quality accommodation.
“Caravanners are especially friendly people who drive carefully and follow signs, no vehicles would be going through Heptonstall,” he concluded.
Similarly, Welcome to Yorkshire backed the last application, highlighting a site of this kind would be ideal in the wake of the Tour de Yorkshire.
Joining Welcome to Yorkshire in approval, Mark Thompson, Calderdale Council’s acting director of economy and environment, said: “There have been two previous planning applications for the land off Smithwell Lane in Heptonstall for change of use from agricultural land to touring caravan site, submitted in 2013 and 2014. The second application was subsequently dismissed on appeal.
“When considering the previous applications, we took account of the benefits of the development for tourism; however it was concluded that these were outweighed by the harm to the Green Belt and the character of the area.
“The Council is now in the process of considering a third application and this will be considered on its own merits,” he concluded.
Do you think plans for the new caravan site should go ahead? Or is building on the green belt unforgivable? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think.
