A 150-home Huddersfield housing development has taken its next steps despite proving unpopular with locals.
The site at Fenay Lane, Almondbury was identified as part of the council’s Housing Growth Strategy, which was approved by Cabinet in November 2023. It is also featured in the Local Plan which is currently undergoing a review.
In January 2024, the Cabinet agreed that the land could be sold off to a housing provider, despite 84 objections from members of the public. At the time, ward cllr, Alison Munro (Lib Dem), voiced her concerns, seeking assurance that flooding and drainage issues had been properly assessed and fearing the comments of residents were being “run over roughshod”.
Now, Vistry Group has been named as the development partner to build around 150 new market and affordable homes on the site. Design work on the scheme can now get underway with the developer expected to submit a planning application at some point this winter.
Once this has been received, the plans will be open to public consultation, with residents invited to comment. The council hopes that construction will start on site in late summer 2026. When finished, the affordable housing will be owned and managed by Yorkshire Housing – Yorkshire’s largest Housing Association.
Cllr Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for the council and our new [development partner] Vistry, and I am looking forward to working closely with them on helping to deliver much-needed energy efficient homes on the Almondbury site.
“When selecting a development partner, we always work on the basis that they should share our values and have the best interests of local people and communities at heart. From their bid, we can be confident that Vistry will bring a quality development to Almondbury, delivering the right mix of housing to meet the needs of our residents.
“By partnering with trusted developers, we can work towards achieving our housing needs without ongoing financial input from us as a council. We are currently in the process of updating our Local Plan and Housing Growth Strategy, but it is clear that to address the local and national housing shortage, we will need to increase the number of houses built in Kirklees while also meeting our climate goals.”
Andrew Poyner, Managing Director of Vistry West Yorkshire, said: “We’re excited to have been selected by Kirklees Council and share its vision for the Fenay Lane site. Our purpose as a responsible developer is to work in partnership to deliver sustainable homes, communities and social value, leaving a lasting legacy of places people love.”
