LOCAL people will be able to have their say on the controversial plans to redevelop Garden Street car park, Hebden Bridge, at a public meeting next week.
The £10 million scheme - the single biggest development planned for Hebden Bridge town centre for more than 50 years - includes homes, flats, automated underground car stacker, parking spaces, shops and enterprise start units.
The meeting in Rivers
ide School next Tuesday (Sept 2) has been arranged by two local Calderdale councillors Janet Battye and Nader Fekri.
It will start at 7.30pm, but the plans for the redevelopment will be on show for an hour before the start of the meeting.
Councillor Janet Battye said: "This redevelopment scheme has generated enormous interest in the town – and this has been mainly negative. We have been disappointed with the way this important project has been handled and so have arranged this meeting to clarify a number of issues and allow local people to have a say. We have invited a couple of council officers to explain the processes to explain how we have got to this stage and what will happen next. We have also invited a spokesperson for the developers and a spokesperson for the objectors to outline their cases."
Councillor Nader Fekri, who will chair the meeting, said: "Hopefully, by the end of the meeting, everyone will be clear about what is proposed, what the objections are and what will happen next."
The planning application for the redevelopment is likely to be discussed by Calderdale Council's Planning Committee later in September.
The speakers will be Mr Adrian Rose, Calderdale Council's Regeneration Officer who will explain the development brief; Mr Andy Edwards, Calderdale Council's Acting Chief Planning Officer, to clarify the planning process; Mr David Fletcher on behalf of the developers, to clarify the planning application and Mr Anthony Rose, on behalf of the objectors, to summarise their concerns.
