A ROW has broken out over a parcel of council-owned land in Birkenshaw which is being sold off for development amid fears that it could make it impossible for the village’s popular social club to operate.

Birkenshaw Liberal Club has for years made use of the unkempt land around the building as an informal car park and even expanded its beer garden on to it.

But a bid by the club’s former secretary to buy the surrounding site from Kirklees Council and build a total of 34 homes has prompted a flurry of objections from local residents.

After a delay of almost a year, the housing plan is now expected to go before a council committee next month for a decision.

Sue Horrobin, secretary of the liberal club, told the Telegraph & Argus that committee members feared the loss of informal parking due to the development would make it very difficult for the social club to host events, and that the close proximity of the planned homes also raised concerns about potential noise complaints from future occupants of the homes.

She said: “The loss of the parking will put us in an impossible situation and then there is the potential for complaints about noise when we have special events as the houses will be very close to the club building.

“It will also mean we will have virtually no space around the building - just our car park to one side.

“We are looking in to buying another piece of land nearby for us to use for parking, but otherwise it will make things very difficult for us.”

The club house is used by a number of local junior and senior rugby teams, who make the Croft Street venue their base after matches and often congregate there.

Atkin Enterprises, which is run by former liberal club secretary John Atkin, submitted its application to the council in September 2014.

A design statement said the 0.8 hectare site was previously used as a bowling green and allotments but had been unused for a number of years and had become overgrown.

It states: “The applicant who is the secretary of the liberal club is purchasing the site to provide much needed residential accommodation which will benefit the local community, tidy up and area of unkempt land and complement the setting of this popular social club.”

Despite being recommended for approval at a committee in August the bid was deferred to gather further highway information and for a safety audit to be carried out.

At that point the council had received 215 letters of objection and a petition containing 50 signatures.

A council spokesman confirmed that the extra information had now been gathered.

He said: “We are hopeful that the revised plan will go to the next strategic planning committee in August.

“The land is currently owned by the council.”

The meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, August 11.

Agent for the development, Piercy Design, was unavailable to comment.