Act Now to Protect Northowram’s Greenbelt!
A planning proposal threatens our village’s environment and identity.
Summer 2025 Update
The total raised for the planning consultant has been met and the over funding will be put towards any further consultation or donated to a local charity and we will keep you posted on this.
Please see below from our local Green Party councillor:
The consultation regarding the cross-Calderdale Gypsy and Traveller Site proposals finished in May. Over 500 comments were received in total, and as a consequence we understand that the Council team will rework the initial proposal in the second half of the year. In particular, there will be a further assessment of the suitability of Council owned land across Calderdale, which may lead to additional sites being identified across the Borough.
This rethink is likely to take the majority of 2025 to complete – we now expect any National Review of the proposal to stretch into 2027, with final Council approval only taking place after the Review has been completed.
Whilst this rework doesn’t necessarily imply that any sites have been taken out of consideration, it does appear that that the significant feedback the Planning team have received is being listened to and acted upon.
What’s Happening?
A greenbelt field at Tower Lodge Farm, Score Hill, Northowram has been proposed as a potential site for a Gypsy & Traveller development.
This land is integral to our village’s character and ecological balance. Calderdale Council is currently consulting with the public – and your comments are urgently needed.
The Score Hill site plan has been broadcast across social media channels and in the press, including on the BBC News website (8th April 2025), visit:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0w4yxpg6zo
6 Key Reasons To Object
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Greenbelt
Erosion of protected land and local habitat.
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Urban Sprawl
Risk of Northowram and Shelf merging.
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Road Safety
Dangerous ‘blind summit’ and poor access.
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Local Services
Schools and GPs already under pressure.
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Scale
12 pitches = half the borough’s total proposed number!
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Drainage
Road regularly floods – unsuitable for more development.
Senior Planning Officer for Spatial Planning, Paul Copeland, advised villagers should focus any rejections of the proposed site plan based on six points detailed above.
Don’t miss this vital opportunity to voice your views and ensure the Council is aware of local feelings.
You can submit your comments by post, by email and online.
National Planning Policy Framework
13. Protecting Green Belt land
142
The government attaches great importance to Green Belts. The fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open; the essential characteristics of Green Belts are their openness and their permanence.
143
Green Belt serves 5 purposes:
(a) to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas;
(b) to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another;
(c) to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;
(d) to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and
(e) to assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.
Timeline
These are some of the key dates for the proposal,
don't let the timeline give you the impression you can wait, the sooner comments are submitted the better!
April & May 2025
Consultation on Initial Proposal
November & December 2025
Consultation on Final Proposal
March 2026
Submission of Proposal to National Government
April to October 2026
Examination of the Proposal by an Independent Inspector
December 2026
Finalisation of the Proposal by Council
2027 & 2028
Submission of Planning Applications by Potential Sites within the proposal
Scott Patient, Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for climate action and housing, said it was “important that people can have their say.”
Source: BBC News, Yorkshire – 8 April 2025
Say ‘NO’ to more Greenbelt development – the village can’t take any more!
94 houses* are already planned at Hall Lane and it’s expected further houses may be built on top of Windmill Estate too after the owners recently cut down numerous trees and destroyed a natural habitat.
Source: Evening Courier, Published 11th Oct 2023
How to Submit Your Objection
Planning Email
Calderdale Planning/Consultation Comments/Concerns
spatial.planning@calderdale.gov.uk
Subject: Tower Lodge Development Northowram
Councillors/MPs
Stephen Leigh MBE Con
councillor.sleigh@calderdale.gov.uk
Howard Blagborough Con
councillor.HBlagbrough@calderdale.gov.uk
Martin Hey Green
councillor.mhey@calderdale.gov.uk
Kate Dearden MP
kate.dearden.mp@parliament.uk
Josh Fenton MP
josh.Fenton-glynn.mp@parliament.uk
Online Portal
Submit via Council Portal
Post
Spatial Planning Team
Calderdale Council
c/o Town Hall
Crossley Street
Halifax HX1 1UJ
Deadline for Objections: 5PM, Friday 30th May 2025!!
Contact Us
If you have any questions, want to help distribute flyers, or have ideas for the campaign, we’d love to hear from you.