Controversial plans for visitor centre on Castle Hill set to be approved by Kirklees Council
The controversial plan to develop Castle Hill is looking likely to get the go ahead next week.
A report to Kirklees Council’s Strategic Planning Committee is recommending approval for the £3.75m proposal for a visitor centre, café, restaurant, bar and six bedrooms at Castle Hill which will include free access to toilets and exhibitions about Castle Hill, along with a specialist learning room for children. It will also have 41 car parking spaces.
The report by planning officers says the plan has not changed significantly since it was previously passed with strict conditions and says the final decision can be left to the head of planning.
It had to be submitted again after the applicant, The Thandi Partnership, had not secured Scheduled Monument Consent which was required within the three-year time limit.
The planning committee meeting will be held at Huddersfield Town Hall on Thursday February 19 (1pm).
An historic aerial view of Castle Hill. Image: Huddersfield Civic Society
The report accepts why there are strong objections to the plan for the development right next to Castle Hill itself but says these are outweighed by the potential public benefit.
It states: “The proposed development is inappropriate in, and is by definition harmful to, the Green Belt. It would also harm the setting of heritage assets.
“However, the public benefits of the proposed development, including in relation to the provision of WCs and an interpretation room, carry sufficient positive weight in the planning balance to outweigh this harm and non-compliance with relevant planning policies.
READ MORE: The amazing history of a pub and hotel on Castle Hill
“The design of the proposed development is considered acceptable, as are the applicant’s proposals in relation to access and parking.
“The proposed development is largely the same as that approved under application with this proposal’s differences minimal.
“National government expects local authority decisions to be consistent in their assessment and decision and a local planning authority should only depart from past decisions if cogent reasons exist.”
The report recommends that councillors agree to delegate approval of the application and the issuing of the decision notice to the Head of Planning and Development who needs to ensure the conditions are clearly laid out and that The Thandi Partnership provide a management plan for the exhibition/interpretation room and that access to the toilets must be free of charge.
This most recent application has drawn more than 120 responses with some in favour of the plan and many against it.
The plan is supported by Historic England which states: “Historic England continues to believe that this important and sensitive site could accommodate a well-designed building that delivers real public value provided that such benefits are tangible, clearly defined and sustainable.”
Its only reservations were about the viability of The Thandi Partnership’s business plan “to ensure that the proposed benefits set out can be realised.”
Under the new plan The Thandi Partnership says the Castle Hill CIC will run as a community interest company and include representatives from local community groups, heritage professionals and ‘council stakeholders’ so all decisions and operations serve the wider public interest.
The Victorian Society remains opposed to the plan, saying: “The proposed building is too big, too close to the Tower and unsympathetic to its surroundings.
“The design is generic with its materiality not preserving the character of the area and disrupting the setting of a nationally important listed building.
“The need for accommodation on the site is questioned with the character of the site having altered considerably and beneficially since the loss of the public house.
“The stated public benefits of the proposed scheme do not outweigh the harm presented to the Listed Building and Ancient Scheduled Monument.”
It’s estimated the development would create between 30 and 35 jobs.
Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content, copywriting and ghost-writing autobiographies.
Amazing history of pub and hotel on top of Castle Hill
