Residents have won their fight to prevent a new housing estate being built on farmland off a steep and narrow cul-de-sac branded “dangerous.”

More than 200 people objected to plans by Fairbank Investments Ltd for outline permission to build homes off Wesley Avenue in Netherthong.

Villagers say the narrow road, which has cars parked at either side, fails to meet Kirklees Council criteria about road widths.

The plans could have meant up to 36 new homes being built with as many 84 car parking spaces, a meeting of the council’s Huddersfield area planning committee was told.

One resident, Mel Booth, told the committee’s virtual meeting that expecting so many cars to “weave in and out of parked cars is truly frightening” and he added: “The dangers of Wesley Avenue speak alarmingly for themselves.”

The road was likened to a “70-metre bottleneck” that was never intended as an access to a bigger estate.

Residents had also launched a legal challenge over land at the end of Wesley Avenue which they claimed was never part of the highway. Council officials claimed it was a “highway verge.”

The housing site off Wesley Avenue

Objectors were supported by Colne Valley Tory MP Jason McCartney who warned of serious flooding issues nearby which would only get worse if the “totally unsustainable” development was allowed to go ahead.

Clr Bill Armer (Con, Kirkburton), who proposed refusal, said he was “totally unconvinced” by the plans and Clr Donna Bellamy (Con, Colne Valley) seconded the motion saying she too was concerned about highway safety.

However, committee chairman Clr Terry Lyons (Ind, Holme Valley North) said the land was allocated for housing in the Local Plan and developers had “ticked all the boxes.”

He said the council had lost out by refusing a similar application in Netherthong and he added: “We are in a tight spot. We have already been hammered financially in Netherthong and I would hope we don’t go down that path again.”

Clr Bernard McGuin (Con, Almondbury) emphasised the unacceptable width of the road and said: “This should never have been put in the Local Plan. We should reject it because it doesn’t make sense.”

Ten councillors voted to refused the plan. Two abstained.