I don’t know which planet she comes from but to state that the Conservatives have never taken a principled stand against this development is total nonsense!

Our stance has always been “Keep the Moor Green”.

At the time when the UDP (Unitary Development Plan) was being put together by the then Labour Kirklees Council I was the only local Conservative councillor in this area.

I had some right royal battles with the local Labour councillors Hutchinson, Beetham and Sheard who, along with the then Labour controlled council, steam-rollered the Mirfield Moor Development into the UDP.

Yes, we did suggest the Three Nuns site as the sensible alternative and I still think to this day that that suggestion was the right one. Here are just a few reasons why this made better sense.

The site was adjacent to the M62 giving first class transportation links without dragging traffic into Mirfield. It was already an industrial area including car wreckers, sewerage works, an incinerator station, John Cotton’s manufacturing plant and contained no residential units at all to disturb or devalue. The site Kirklees forced on us, Mirfield Moor, is right on the skyline of Mirfield and will create an eyesore that will be seen for miles around and it lies right amongst peoples’ homes and their valued environment. It was a cruel decision that will blight Mirfield for evermore and I know of nobody in Mirfield at that time who agreed with it.

If we look back over the years it would be very difficult to discover anything that the Labour Party has done that has actually benefited Mirfield. The people of Mirfield have recognised this which is why the Mirfield Labour Party now have no representation at Kirklees.

Colin Fretwell

Chairman Mirfield Conservative Association