Kirklees Council sits on £14.5m in unspent developer contributions

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 14:32 · Archive

Kirklees Council has accumulated more than £14.5m in unspent Section 106 developer contributions, according to a Freedom of Information request revealed on 12 August 2026. These funds stem from 36 applications, with some money dating back decades. One example in Cleckheaton ward shows £20,000 received between 1998 and 1999 to offset the impacts of a residential development near Broomfield Terrace, which has never been spent.

Section 106 payments are contributions made by developers to local authorities to mitigate the impact of building projects. They extend to affordable housing, new school places and road improvements. More recently, over £590,000 was set aside in 2024 for education to offset the impacts of building 260 new homes in Dewsbury, and those funds have yet to be allocated.

Cllr John Hardie, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Highways and Transport, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: 'Section 106 is very much on the top of my list for discussion and resolution. It is a very complicated and legally bound matter. We are progressing and hope to have some news by October this year.'

How it is being reported

• MP demands answers over unspent £14.5m for Kirklees communitiesKirklees Council has accumulated more than £14.5m which was intended to fund improvements and support local services, and a local MP wants answers.Yorkshire Post · 15 Oct, 14:00
• Demands made over unspent £14.5m that impacts Kirklees communitiesThe money has been racked up over decadesHuddersfield Examiner · 15 Oct, 04:00

In this story: Kirklees Council · Cleckheaton · Dewsbury · Cllr John Hardie

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem