‘If this is passed, it makes a mockery of the Local Plan’

build on land before the consultation has closed.

It is more than a year until a huge 392-acre green belt plot between Mirfield and Dewsbury could be unlocked as part of the council’s Local Plan – a bid to get developers to build 30,000 homes by 2031.

But community groups fighting the so called “Dewsbury Riverside” scheme – the biggest plot put forward by the council – have been taken by surprise after Miller Homes submitted plans for two 120-home estates on it. It has emerged that the two plots within the boundary of the 4,000 house scheme were earmarked for homes almost 20 years ago when the council’s previous planning blueprint, the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) was approved.

One is behind Ravenshall School, the other is behind Thornhill Lees village hall.

Marcus Jessop, founder of the “Horses Not Houses” campaign, which is bidding to block the Dewsbury Riverside plan, said: “Once again this shows complete contempt for the Local Plan process.

“No decisions on these plans should be made until the whole thing is decided by the planning inspector.

“If Kirklees pass these it makes a complete mockery of the Local Plan.”

Mr Jessop has also revealed his 36,000 signature petition has been excluded from the Local Plan consultation as it missed the deadline.

He has vowed to “get it in front of the planning inspector” by other means.

Mirfield’s Clr Martyn Bolt, said the two applications made the whole consultation look like a “fait accompli” and added: “It doesn’t inspire much confidence in the Local Plan process.

“Members of the public are putting a lot of time and effort into getting to grips with the process and here you have, it seems, a developer driving a coach and horses through it.

“It’s easy to see how public confidence in the council is eroded.”

Council documents have revealed that Miller Homes has been on board as Kirklees’ “exclusive partner” developer since the controversial plan was hatched.

They show the homes firm has the backing of the Homes and Communities Agency who could provide funding to Kirklees for the scheme in a bid to boost the economy in south Dewsbury.

The huge regeneration project includes plans for two new primary schools, a secondary school, new public parks and spaces, a Ravensthorpe relief road and improvements to Ravensthorpe train station.

Consultation on the two Miller Homes plans runs until January 9.

In a statement Miller Homes said: “We can confirm we have submitted outline planning applications for two developments as part of the first phase of the wider Dewsbury Riverside development.

“These plans are for proposed developments of up to 120 new homes at both Lees Hall Road and Ravensthorpe Road in Dewsbury in areas which are already allocated for development in the current adopted development plan.”