Road measures connected to a large housing development in New Farnley could be about to be signed off by Leeds City Council.
Plans for 114 homes in a field off Whitehall Road were approved by Leeds planners earlier this year despite local opposition.
This week council highways officers gave the go ahead for £27,400 of road measures funded by developers Redrow, to progress. These included:
- A draft traffic order to provide two point closures on the Whitehall Road service road and, if no valid objections are received, to make, seal and implement the order;
- To advertise a draft Traffic Regulation Order to provide 20mph speed limit and double yellow lines at the proposed turning heads on the Whitehall Road service road.
- Form a new priority vehicular access junction on Whitehall Road.
A council report said the works need to be completed before the development opens in 2022/23. It also recommends that the council formally adopts the land – details of which are contained in a separate confidential council report. It concludes:
“The steps outlined in this report provide public benefit with the significant upgrade of an existing privately maintained service road for which the Council is entering a legal
agreement for the carrying out of necessary highway works that would otherwise be undeliverable. This ratifies the status of the road and provides a clear benefit for all users.”
So in essence the council are going to give permission for a road to be developed that they dont maintain or own and adopt it then let developers who also dont open the road gain access. People who own the houses and the road should be able to see in full the confidential report that the council have drawn up this at at the very least. Disgusting land grab in my opinion the houses on Whitehall Rd should be asked if they wish to sell it in the first instance.
This is appalling. It’s nothing short of theft.
No one has officially told us about this, no one has taken the time to advise us of what’s happening, we have to hear this from West Leeds Dispatch! Where are our councilors, what use are they?
The service road belongs to the residents, not the council and not Redrow.
What is this confidential report? Why is it being kept from the homeowners?