The timeline for the demolition of the notorious Berry Brow flats as part of a £36m regeneration project has now been set by Kirklees Council.
In 2021, Kirklees Council decided it would be demolishing the two tower blocks – Holme Park Court and Bishops Court – and replacing them with new social housing after serious concerns were raised around fire safety. The following year, the local authority began the process of relocating the residents ahead of the flats being bulldozed. Though the demolition is yet to happen.
The decant process was still taking place when new designs for the flats were released in May 2024. At the time, the council said it was preparing a planning application to be submitted later in the year, but this also failed to come to fruition.
Now, the local authority says its priority is demolishing the vacant flats in the current financial year, which runs until next April. Once this is complete, the council will be turning its attention back to the planning side of things.
Cllr Moses Crook, Cabinet member for Transport and Housing said: “We are currently undertaking a huge exercise to assess the condition of our current housing stock across the borough, to ensure that all our homes are safe, warm and well maintained. We are reviewing the five-year Homes & Neighbourhoods Capital Plan that will set out priorities from 2025/26.
“We will discuss with our tenants how we will improve our existing homes and how we will continue to increase the supply of much needed new homes. This will be included in the council’s Budget Report for the Housing Revenue Account which will be presented to Cabinet for approval later this year.
“Our priority for Berry Brow is to ensure that Bishop’s Court and Holme Park Court are demolished this financial year, then we will resume planning for new homes after this has taken place in 2026. Our priority is creating safe and accessible homes and a better standard of living for our tenants, and how we can develop a longer-term pipeline for building more council housing on council land in the borough.”
In its entirety, the project will take seven years to complete at a cost of £36.78m. The scheme is divided into six phases, with phase one the relocation of tenants, and phase two marked by the designing of new homes.
Public consultation will follow as phase three, and phase four will see the cabinet grant approval. Demolition of the tower blocks and the construction of new homes will mark phases five and six respectively.
