Two high-rise blocks of flats at Berry Brow are to be demolished and new ‘low-rise’ homes built in their place – at a cost of £57 million.

Bishop’s Court and Holme Park Court are to be flattened amid safety fears in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

After consulting tenants, Kirklees Council’s Cabinet has agreed to demolish the neighbouring blocks and replace them with 14 low-rise alternatives.

The costs involved include moving residents out and housing them elsewhere while works take place.

There are 98 flats at Bishop’s Court and 96 at Holme Park Court and 63% of tenants favoured demolition rather than a repair of the existing blocks. Re-development could take seven years and would mean the loss of 63 homes.

Tests on the external wall render found flammable insulation and there was also a lack of fire breaks. That was discovered in November 2020 and the council immediately introduced patrols and a CCTV watch to keep residents safe.

What the leafy new homes at Berry Brow could look like

The council also found similar concerns at Harold Wilson House and Buxton House in Huddersfield town centre. Tenants there wanted to see refurbishment not demolition and works will cost around £20 million.

Deputy council leader and Cabinet member for housing Clr Cathy Scott outlined the costs to a meeting of the Cabinet and said: “We have a duty of care for the safety of our tenants and you can’t put a price on people’s safety. We need to be on the front foot and get this done as quickly as possible.”

Seventy-two people died when a fire ripped through Grenfell Tower in London in June 2017.

Council leader Clr Shabir Pandor said: “We have a responsibility as a landlord and we have the money to put it right.”