Lydgate Sunday School, Holmfirth Road, New Mill, Holmfirth, HD9 7LF

Planning appeal 3301885 at Lydgate Sunday School, Holmfirth Road, New Mill, Holmfirth, HD9 7LF (Kirklees Metropolitan Council) was allowed on 24 April 2023 by Inspector Cooper W, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal would result in an unacceptable loss of a community facility.

change of use of former Sunday school Class F(I)(f) to retail unit Class E(a), and alterations to boundary wall and vehicular access

Authority: Kirklees Metropolitan Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Hearing
Development: retail · Change of use
Inspector: Cooper W
Postcode: HD9 7LF

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the proposal would result in an unacceptable loss of a community facility
The effect of the proposal on the vitality and viability of Holmfirth Town Centre, Honley District Centre and New Mill, Brockholes and Shepley Local Centres

What decided it

The substantial benefits of securing occupation, repair and maintenance of the vacant, at-risk listed building outweighed the limited harm to centre vitality and the minimal heritage harm.

The substantial combination of benefits (heritage preservation and re-use of a vacant listed building, socio-economic benefits, and improved access) outweighed the limited harm to the vitality of nearby centres and the minimal less-than-substantial harm to the listed building.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy 9 of the Holme Valley Neighbourhood Development Plan 2021-2031 (NDP)Policy LP48 of the Kirklees Local Plan (LP)Policy LP13 of the LP
Judgments: Warners Retails (Moreton) Ltd v Cotswold District Council and others [2016] EWCA Civ 606

How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.

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The decision letter

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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023

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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.