UPDATED - Up to 560 homes could be built on pit site within eight years

Work to build 560 homes on the site of the former Glass Houghton Colliery that could ‘transform’ the area could begin within a year.
Newspaper: Pontefract & Castleford Express.
Story: Plans for a new development off Flass Lane, Glasshoughton, which include 560 homes, is expected to be approved by Wakefield council.
L to R) Cllrs Denise Jeffrey, Kathryn Scott and Jacquie Speight.
Photo date: 26/08/15
Picture Ref: AB190b0815Newspaper: Pontefract & Castleford Express.
Story: Plans for a new development off Flass Lane, Glasshoughton, which include 560 homes, is expected to be approved by Wakefield council.
L to R) Cllrs Denise Jeffrey, Kathryn Scott and Jacquie Speight.
Photo date: 26/08/15
Picture Ref: AB190b0815
Newspaper: Pontefract & Castleford Express. Story: Plans for a new development off Flass Lane, Glasshoughton, which include 560 homes, is expected to be approved by Wakefield council. L to R) Cllrs Denise Jeffrey, Kathryn Scott and Jacquie Speight. Photo date: 26/08/15 Picture Ref: AB190b0815

Developer Harworth Estates hopes to build the homes, together with a pub restaurant and offices on land just off Flass Lane.

Wakefield Council’s planning and highways committee granted outline permission for the development along with full permission for remediation works at the site at a meeting at County Hall, Wakefield today (Thursday).

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Coun Denise Jeffery, the council’s cabinet member for regeneration and deputy leader, said: “We have been working on this application for some time and working on the redevelopment of the pit for about 14 years. This development could really transform the Castleford area.

“It means new people coming to live in the town, further investment in our area and is another piece of the jigsaw in terms of redeveloping Castleford.”

Remediation works on the site are expected to get underway within weeks and the building work could begin within a year.

The whole scheme could be complete within eight years.

Coun Jeffery said: “The developers want to get started straight away which is great.

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Housing is at the heart of regeneration and this scheme is fantastic for our area.”

Express readers voiced concerns over increased traffic at Glass Houghton.

Chris Hyomes said: “Long before the first house is built there needs to be a major upgrade of both the road and rail infrastructure.”

But the council said the proposals are part of the £4m Glass Houghton Southern Link Road, which would run from Flass Lane to Colorado Way.

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Coun Jeffery said an application for the road is expected to be submitted once the homes are built.

Tim Love, director of strategic land, at Harworth Estates: “We are delighted that we have received another planning consent in Yorkshire and we look forward to building on what we have achieved at the nearby Prince of Wales Colliery development.

“Castleford is a strong housing market due to its location and the competitive pricing of the housing on offer.

“Our application includes Harworth Estates reserving land for the road corridor, helping to facilitate the proposed Southern Link Road scheme.

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“Once built, this will improve traffic flow and open up further development land. We provided the road corridor for the Northern Relief Road as part of the Prince of Wales development nearby and we hope this can be repeated.”