PLANS to demolish a number of garages and build a new healthcare centre in their place have been given the go ahead.

The scheme by Kingscrown Developments Ltd is for a 0.15 acre site on Smithies Moor Lane in Birstall that is currently home to ten derelict garages.

The plans, which have just been approved by Kirklees Council planning officers, include constructing a flexible single-storey healthcare facility on the land, finished in brick and timber cladding with a grey aluminium sheet roof.

In documents attached to the planning bid, it states that it is expected that the finished development will be used by a public or private medical practice.

“This aspiration is driven by increasing demand for public and private health facilities and changing demographics alongside NHS funding challenges, which means that trying to provide services in the same way is no longer sustainable,” it states.

“The proposal will also help regenerate an underutilised site, which has remained redundant and in a state of disrepair for many years.”

The application states that that they wish to increase the level to parking spaces to 11 in total.

The site on Smithies Moor Lane in Birstall (Image: Google Street View)

Documents also show that the building would contain two main surgery rooms, one small surgery room, a reception area, staff room and storage space.

Access will continue to be off Smithies Moor Lane.

The site itself is in the green belt but it would be classed as a brownfield development due to the garages on the site.

In reaching a decision, planners state that officers initially raised concerns about significant amount of ‘hardstanding’ within the plans. Amendments were made with details of soft landscaping instead.

There are some protected trees on the site, which will need to stay when the redevelopment takes place.

The report states: “Given the design and the scale of the proposal, as well as the location, surrounded by fields and woodland, the proposal would be visible within the street scene.

“The proposed would be set back from the highway by 10.5 metres and the trees along the boundary of the site would be retained, reducing the prominence of the proposed structure.

“The proposal would replace a group of old garages which appear to be unused. The proposed scheme would therefore bring a derelict site back into use which would be considered an improvement on the existing situation.

“As such the proposal is considered to not cause significant harm to the visual amenity of the wider street scene.”

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