Woolley Colliery: More than 100 homes set to be built in former Yorkshire mining village

DLP Planning hope to build the development across two parcels of land to the west of Woolley Colliery Lane, northwest of Darton, near Barnsley. The land formed part of Woolley Colliery Mine, and DLP has proposed to build up to 75 homes on the north site, and up to 40 on the south site. Of the properties, ten would be allocated as ‘affordable’ homes.

Area councillors Dickie Denton and Steve Hunt have supported the development of a brownfield site, as well as proposed investment in Woolley Colliery Recreation Ground. However, they raised concerns about the impact of the additional traffic, impact on schools and doctors, and better access for pedestrians and cyclists.

Twenty-two residents wrote in to BMBC regarding the plans, raising a number of concerns, including extra traffic congestion, ‘rat running’ through Woolley Grange, air and noise pollution, ‘unreliable’ buses, and loss of ecological value. One resident commented that ‘Woolley Colliery is losing its identity and this will continue if this proposal is allowed.’

However, a report by BMBC planning officers states that the applicant has “provided a noise assessment which states that with appropriate mitigation, the proposed development will not give rise to significant adverse impacts on health or quality of life. The transport assessment submitted in support of the proposals concluded that the traffic impacts associated with the development are not considered to be significant in terms of the impact on the wider network.”

“The applicant proposes to provide the necessary greenspace provision. This strategy will prevent the site losing its habitat and biodiversity value over time and will result in a Biodiversity Net Gain of 84.25 per cent and so the council’s planning ecologist has raised no objections. In all other respects, the proposal is deemed to comply with local plan and the proposal is deemed acceptable at this outline stage.”