City Fields Wakefield: Plans to build 135 new homes on council-owned land given green light

Plans to build 135 homes on Wakefield Council-owned land have been approved. The scheme is the first of a series of developments on local authority land at City Fields.

The scheme includes a range of two, three and four-bed properties on six hectares of grassland off Neil Fox Way. The local authority submitted the application with a view to selling the site to a developer to complete the project.

The site is close to The Lodge housing development which has recently been completed by Miller Homes. The plan includes 41 affordable homes for renting or shared ownership. Existing paths that cross the site will be retained and improved. Fifteen objections to the plan were made.

Residents living nearby raised concerns over the impact of construction traffic. Other objections relate to fears over flooding and loss of wildlife habitats.

The council’s planning and highways committee voted in favour of the scheme at a meeting on Thursday (August 17). A condition was attached to stop Burkwood Drive from being used by construction vehicles. Council officers recommended the development for approval.

A report states: “The detailed design and layout of the scheme would result in a high standard of housing environment by virtue of the proposed layout, scale, design and landscaping that would protect the amenity of existing residents.

“The proposed development is considered to be acceptable in principle and, subject to the imposition of planning conditions, there are considered to be no technical reasons to withhold planning permission.”