Fresh plans for Grade-II mansion met with over 170 objections

In January, city planners rejected the blueprints for the grade-II Horbury building to be turned into 10 separate units, claiming it would cause “substantial harm” to the protected property.

Two applications were subsequently submitted in April for a conversion into eight apartments, but has been met with fierce opposition, with more than 170 objections between them.

Among them is Horbury ward councillor Darren Byford who says the plans are an overdevelopment of the site with insufficient parking spaces.

Michael Cudworth, on behalf of the Trustees of Horbury Heritage Trust Ltd, said: “Nothing has changed for this application. On the last application it was stated that the income created from eight flats would not be viable.

“The applicant now claims it is viable. What are we supposed to believe?

“This application is flawed on many levels and it would be seen by the trust’s members as a huge error, as well as an injustice, were it to be accepted.”

Built in the 1770s, it was taken on by Wakefield Council in the 1930s and used as offices, but has fallen into disrepair. Many have called for the building to remain for community use.