Green-plan praise for apartments

THE WAY FORWARD . . . An artist’s impression of the Parkfield development of 35 apartments which has been approved by planners

A COUPLE who ran a Moorside hotel for almost half a century before shutting up shop are set to make their mark on the area once more after gaining planning permission to build 35 apartments on the site of the former hotel.

Eric and Beryl Mellor ran the Parkfield House Hotel in Ripponden Road for 46 years, before reluctantly closing the business in the wake of new fire safety regulations, which would have been too expensive to implement.

But the couple wanted to leave a legacy and are now planning to sell the land to developers with the planning permission for a selection of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.

The couple had revised the plans, reducing the number of apartments from 39 and lowering the height of the complex after planning officers expressed concerns at an earlier meeting.

The hotel is now being demolished in preparation for the new development, which incorporates a host of eco-friendly features, including the use of photovoltaic panels to provide the power and facilities to collect rainwater.

All the stone that is left behind once the 141-year-old building is flattened, will be recycled and used in the new building, in line with much of the brickwork in the area.

Councillors praised the development’s green credentials, with Councillor Steve Bashforth saying: “This is an intriguing building design and I’m sure it will be an asset to the area.”

Councillor Christine Wheeler said: “This is the first time that an architect has actually showed us how they are going to make sure that 10 per cent of the energy comes from renewable sources and I applaud this applicant for doing so.”