This was published last week: the High Court Judge dismissed the application by the site owners to set aside the Planning Inspector’s decision to refuse the appeal against refusal of planning permission to build a Sainsbury’s supermarket and flats on this site.

So I hope that, at last, it may be possible to start to plan positively for the future use of this important empty site in the middle of the town, between the Council’s car park (which currently has the market on it two days/week), the Health Centre and the Post Office Telephone Exchange.

This decision should confirm that it really isn’t possible to use this site for purpose that generates a lot of heavy traffic. I was sitting in a nearby house recently watching a large lorry trying to manoeuvre around the corner of the road. It just isn’t right to put any more lorries onto that road.

The local Town and Parish Councils are working on the Neighbourhood Plan and Calderdale Council is finalising its site allocations for the Local Plan. I’m hoping that a worthwhile use that will benefit the community will be found for this site