Plenty of debate over plan for hotel
The Stubbing Wharf, Hebden Bridge, fills up ahead of the meeting to discuss plans for the former Browns site
ARCHITECTS behind an ambitious plan for a £6 million supermarket and hotel on King Street, Hebden Bridge have said that previous ideas for the site included building a private health care centre, a recreation ground or a school.
The revelation from Sam Deakin of Moreton-Deakin Associates came at a public meeting at The Stubbing Wharf in Hebden Bridge, organised and chaired by Calder Ward Councillor Janet Battye.
Also in attendance at the Q and A were Calderdale Council development officer Richard Seaman, the developers’ planning consultant Roger Lee and Dennis Deakin of Moreton-Deakin Associates.
The majority of the 60 residents in attendance were against the application. Reasons for opposing it were: an anticipated increase in traffic, doubts over the traffic impact assessment on the application, the look and size of the building and the proposed materials used.
There were also doubts raised about whether there would be a taker for the hotel and/or supermarket.
However, Dennis Deakin said: “There are a number of end users who have been quite interested in taking the site on. It is not a pie in the sky idea.”
Residents also questioned the validity of the figure of 100 jobs the applicant believes the hotel and supermarket would create.
But Roger Lee said: “The figure has been based on what would be expected to be generated from the hotel and supermarket. It is based on similar-sized projects, but it is not an exact science.”
Dr Lindsay Smales, an urban planning lecturer, told residents they were almost too late to object to the plans and they had to take a more active role in shaping the future of development in the town.
“At the moment you get to react to the land owners’ proposals after they have been submitted,” he said. “I worked with Hebden Bridge Strategic Partnership when they came up with a Neighbourhood Plan. It’s disappointing that the partnership wasn’t supported by Hebden Royd Town Council in funding that plan.”
The land is owned by Setbray Properties and Belmont Homes.
The expiry date for representations on the application is Friday, November 2.
* The Hebden Bridge Times would like to correct an error published last week.
In an article on page 12 headlined “Action group aims to pour cold water on development” it read “According to a Friends of the Earth analysis, five per cent of small business income returns to the local economy”.
However, it should have read “According to a Friends of the Earth analysis, fifty per cent of small business income returns to the local economy”.
We apologise for any confusion caused.
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Sunday 19 May 2013
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