A village made famous by Last of the Summer Wine has been left outraged over plans to turn its historic textiles works into luxury homes.
Locals blasted plans to turn Hinchliffe Mill in Holmebridge, West Yorkshire, into 19 two to three-storey houses and five more on a nearby hill with parking for 82 cars.
According to them, the traffic congestion on the narrow roadway will place primary school students at risk.
The derelict Grade Two listed former wool factory, which dates from 1832, has been eyed up by developers for about a decade.
But villagers have been left stunned by the scale of the development, which is surrounded by traditional Yorkshire stone cottages.
Locals blasted plans to turned Hinchliffe Mill (pictured) in Holmebridge, West Yorkshire, into 19 two to three-storey houses and five more on a nearby hill with parking for 82 cars
They claimed that the huge development will put primary school children in danger as traffic clogs up the narrow road. Pictured: The east and west elevation of the mill and the proposed first floor plan
For over a decade, developers have sought to acquire the derelict Grade Two listed, former wool factory which dates back from 1832. The last of the Summer Wine Cast
The development is set in the midst of traditional Yorkshire stone cottages, leaving villagers stunned. Photographed: An aerial view of the plans
The local roads they recommend are too narrow to allow two cars to travel and lack pavements. This will cause them to become clogged up with vehicles, which could endanger the primary students.
Local roads can only accommodate two cars and lack pavements, so they are too narrow to allow traffic to go through. This could lead to congestion and even endangerment for primary school pupils.
They also fear woodland and wildlife will be devastated, along with Hinchliffe Mill Conservation Area and protected Green Belt land.
The scheme would devastate tourism, according to planners.
Hinchcliffe Mill, a favorite stop for Last of the Summer Wine lovers to see a glimpse of the stone cottage home Edie and Wesley lived in at Stone Cottage Home is Hinchcliffe Mill
Thora Hird was the original actress and played the part until she died at 91. One of the most memorable gags from the series is her checking the lock on the front door.
The fear is shared by Hinchliffe Mill Conservation Area, Green Belt Land and woodlands and wildlife that will all be destroyed.
It was warned that the scheme could cause tourism to suffer from a loss of character, atmosphere, and unspoilt views. Pictured are the landscapes in which these properties will appear.
Hinchcliffe Mill, a favorite stop for Last of the Summer Wine lovers to see the stone cottage home Edie and Wesley lived in is known as Hinchcliffe Mill. Pictured are the proposed properties
Thora Hird, Dame Thora played this role until her death at 91. Her checking that she locked the front door was one of the longest-running gags on the show. Pictured is the proposed overall site plan
Steve Davie (69), a retired vicar and Chairman of Holmfirth Conservation Group, summarised 85 letters opposing the plans
Retired vicar Steve Davie, 69, Chairman of Holmfirth Conservation Group, summed up 85 letters railing against the plans.
His words were: “Holmfirth’s in a deep valley. There is little you can do to improve the roads, which are slow and narrow.
“We see an overdevelopment on the site, which would generate too much traffic for its size. Luxury housing is not needed. Many of the housing available in this area are already prohibitively expensive.
“It is a violation of quite a few principles contained in the neighborhood plan regarding affordable housing. While we aren’t opposed to any development, It must fit the characteristics of Holmfirth and the surrounding area.
One local said: ‘The main selling points of the self catering accommodation and B&B providers in the village are the unspoilt views, picturesque location, historic, character cottages, tranquillity and ambience – which will all be lost.’
Another way to put it: “The Mill itself has tremendous heritage value. The area’s past is very important and any development should be in harmony with preservation of the buildings and land where they are located as a crucial part of any design.
“This development is completely out of line with Hinchcliffe Mill’s conservation area character.”
One local said: ‘The main selling points of the self catering accommodation and B&B providers in the village are the unspoilt views, picturesque location, historic, character cottages, tranquillity and ambience – which will all be lost’
M D One Ltd, Developer said that the new designs and layouts are sensitive to the area’s industrial past and conservation. However, they also provide well-designed contemporary homes.
One person wrote that the roads to the site were not designed for large construction vehicles. However, any works have been completed and they are not suitable for additional dwellings.
“They’re very narrow, with no sidewalks. Parents and children travel the roads to get to their first school. Dog walkers, dog walkers, and walkers also use them.
“It’s already dangerously crowded during peak periods for both pedestrians and drivers.
“There will soon be a significant loss of habitats for wildlife that, as we all know, are struggling to survive in a rapidly decreasing world.
“I ask you to come have a look at this beautiful area of nature, and see the narrow roads that can’t support more traffic. Before any decision is made.
One more: The scheme design isn’t in harmony with properties around it and will prove to be an eyesore if viewed from Acre Lane or Wood Head Road. It will also be visible sitting in the valley bottom.
The area falls under the conservation area’s green belt, is floodplain, and all these are contradictions to the Local Kirklees Plan that was created for future development.
M D One Ltd, developer said: “We ensured that the revised designs and site layout were sympathetic to both the preservation area and the past industrial use of the site while at the same providing well designed modern dwellings.”