Plans to create Dewsbury Riverside village
Innovative plans to create a vibrant riverside village in Dewsbury have been approved.
What is it all about?
The Dewsbury Riverside Masterplan, approved by Cabinet on 19 March, sets out a vision to develop up to 4,000 quality homes, supported by new schools, roads and a local centre.
It will be located on a 160 hectare site in South Dewsbury, on land to the south of Ravensthorpe and south-east of Mirfield.
What will be in it?
The innovative scheme will have a large public park at its centre, with six neighbourhoods around it, connected and surrounded by woodlands, walking and cycle routes, bridal paths, allotments and natural play areas to encourage residents to live healthy lifestyles. Key to the scheme will be to ensure all developments complement the area’s natural setting.
We have worked with Miller Homes, relying on consultation with the local community and other stakeholders, to develop this masterplan for Dewsbury Riverside.
The first 1,869 new homes, a local centre, a new primary school and parks and public facilities, to be built over the next 15 years as part of the Kirklees Local Plan – approved by Full Council on 27 February.
What new facilities will support the new development?
The village centre would include a GP practice, pharmacy, care provision for elderly people, a relocated mosque and small retail outlets. There will also be community sports pitches and play areas.
The remaining 2,131 homes would be developed in phases up to the year 2045, with a secondary and further primary school to be delivered alongside.
New highways and improvements to existing roads are all factored in as part of the plans, to reduce travel times and congestion and improve air quality.
Proposed improvements to Ravensthorpe Railway Station and the Trans-Pennine rail link would also help the development become an attractive location for commuters to Leeds, Manchester and beyond.
Where is the money coming from?
We have submitted a Local Growth Fund bid of £4.6million to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and a bid of £22.5million bid to the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund. The council is looking to work with housing developers to help deliver the scheme.
Cllr Shabir Pandor, Leader of Kirklees Council, said:
“This is a great example of how our Local Plan helps us map out where the new, good-quality housing we need is built in Kirklees.
In Dewsbury Riverside we’re creating something truly unique and innovative, with a new community, complete with the facilities and infrastructure needed alongside it.
This exciting development will not only help us meet the growing need for quality housing but will also encourage those living there to lead healthy lives by making use of the large amount of public green space.
We have great ambition for Dewsbury and the whole of Kirklees. This development alongside the investments we’re making to regenerate Dewsbury Town Centre are all part of our commitment to see all of our towns, villages and valleys thrive.
Ambitious schemes such as this are all part of the council’s vision to ensure Kirklees is a great place to live, work and do business.”
Want to see the plans?
Read the full report here.
There is not another mosque of any consequence to be demolished
Well its a funny old World? i write this post at 3.39 on the 11/09/19…… lets see what todays News is?????? Stay with me on this one!!!
The old Blackers Arms which is now a religious centre & cresh or preschool? has had lots of activity!!! outside tidying up the place etc etc….. which i find bizzare as it to be demolished along with Ravensthorpe Road Allotments…. I await todays News from Kirklees Council so please stay with me on this one too!! i think i can smell a RAT here & i dont mean in the Allotments………i hope to keep you all posted
Regards Neil Bould
P.S. i Screenshot my post before uploading to the forum
Hi Chris whats happening to Ravensthope Road Allotments? whats happened to the consultation with plot holders??
So my comment as been zapped too, great forum this.
Is this really going to happen or are Kirklees just keeping busy, I could go on about the wildlife and the bat settlement etc but I can’t see this happening, think Newlay concrete hope it happens, be a nice little honey pot that.
Hi Neil, could you repost it and we can reapprove so it goes up?
my comment about Ravensthorpe Road Allotments Thornhill Lees Dewsbury seems to have dissapeared???
what about Ravensthorpe Road allotments? and all the consultation?? which hasnt happened, my heritage & history is never considered by This council
Hi Pamela, some queries we can have the information immediately, some we need to get more info on. We try our best to reply to as many as we can
Why only answer some queries and not others, what is the point of this forum?
Dewsbury to Mirfield, Huddersfield Road at Peak travelling times has been a nightmare for years ever since its inception, whoever thought the Ravensthope Gyratory system up needs to go back to to the drawing board and start again. It has NEVER worked and has only got worse, but lets be honest the powers that be i.e. some Kirklees Council members probably never have to use it at peak times so it will not affect them so they couldn’t give a flying fig about traffic jams. Thank the lord I will be long gone by the time this will all be allegedly finished. When this ‘Riverside’ Project was bulldozed, YES BULLDOZED though and some council members where not allowed their say this was not Democracy at work it was DICTATORSHIP which is what this Kirklees council is now, shame on you.
Hi Val, there will be homes accessible to the elderly and disabled people. There is also plans for a new senior school, hope this helps.
Please can I have a reply to my questions
Why do we require another mosque, when there is already 31 registered mosques in dewsbury. One of them In saviletown that is within walking distance to thornhill lees. Is the largest mosque in Europe holding 4000 worshipers.
Will the school be a faith school ??
Are you therefore expecting an influx of muslims and atheists, with no christians (the nominated religion of this country?
No mention of a bus service then!
Are the new homes going to be accessible for disabled people and the elderly. Also a new primaty school will have a knock on effect for the local senior schools which are already at capacity, as any thoughts gone into extending senior schools or building a new one?
Who is responsible for the cleaning of the River Calder? From Cooper Bridge, through Mirfield flood areas and down into Dewsbury, from town to Sands Lane Playing fields the riverbanks and flood debis left behind are a disgrace.
MC have held multi agency public meetings including the Environment Agency, Canal and River Trust, local councils and business owners and residents but still the River Needs cleaning and nothing has been done. Who by and when will the River Calder be cleaned and cleared please?
Hi Rachel, thanks for your comment. If you could address your concerns to dc.admin@kirklees.gov.uk the planning team will be able to give you detailed guidance on how we make sure developers adhere to the plans. ^CD
Hi Margaret, the reason that there is a Mosque in the plan is that another Mosque in the area is being demolished. ^CD
Why is there a mosque but no church
I trust developers about as far as I can throw them. What procedures are in place to ensure they stick to the plan? What happens when they go back to Planning saying they can’t afford it and need to build on playground areas, or fail to put money towards road improvements? Can they be made to deposit money before they start? And does Kirklees have any idea about the amount of fury and despair among existing residents who are losing precious green spaces?
If you are son keen to creat green spaces, why are you continuing to takeaway our green space at Bradley Golf course?
A relocated mosque is mentioned but no other church(s) are mentioned.Why are no other faiths taken into account or provisions made for any?