Councillors write to Farnley residents over green belt threat

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Green Party councillors in Farnley and Wortley are encouraging local residents to oppose plans to build hundreds of houses on green belt land.

As previously reported, the council is putting together proposals to cater for a population boom in Leeds over the next 15 years and build tens of thousands of homes across the city.

Cllrs Ann and David Blackburn and Terry Wilford say council plans to allocate housing on land between Tong Road, Tong Drive and Gamble Lane are ‘unsuitable’ and would go some way to filling the green belt gap in the area. They raise issues with a built-up frontage on Gamble Lane and Tong Road and poor access onto Tong Road.

It’s also proposed that land bordered by Hare Park Mount and Gamble Lane (pictured above) will be taken out of the green belt and held in reserve for potential future development beyond 2028.

They add:

“Please note that comments about the value of your home and remarkd stating that you would be deprived of your green view do not count as valid objections.”

Farnley travellers site letter
Farnley travellers site letter by Green Party

The three councillors have also written to residents to raise concerns over a proposed travellers site off Tong Road/Lakeside Road, near Farnley Reservoir.

Residents are invited to attend two consultation events at Leeds Civic Hall on Thursday, 29 October and Friday, 30 October between 2-8pm, People can also have a say online.

Save Leeds Green Belt Campaign

Meanwhile, the save Leeds Green Belt campaign has been warning on local Facebook groups of plans for hundreds of houses off Whitehall Road, and Gelderd Road. A spokesperson for the group said:

“Your Local greenbelt is about to be destroyed by Leeds City Council, so we must stand together and prevent the building of 70,000 new homes across Leeds. The local council are holding low key public consultation events in your area, so let’s make sure your voice is heard!”

Council’s argument

The council says the highest allocation of new homes will be in the city centre and ‘inner area’ of Armley, Beeston Hill, Belle Isle, Gipton and Harehills, Hyde Park and Woodhouse, Hunslet and Seacroft.

Land allocated for housing in west Leeds also includes: units at Airedale Mills in Rodley, planned developments along Calverley Lane,  Hill Foot Farm in Pudsey, 160 houses down Hough Side Road, Pudsey, 99 houses off Acres Hall Avenue/Troydale Lane in Pudsey,  units on the former Wortley High School site, Wortley Low Mills off Whitehall Road, and at Dick Lane in Thornbury.

In Armley, there are also plans for housing off Wesley Road and land has been allocated for a mixed housing and employment at Armley Gyratory. Included in the land allocation is housing up Kirkstall Road and in the Otter Island area, off Kirkstall Road.

The Dispatch reported in June how council chiefs rejected government statistics on projected population growth in the city, which showed that the number of households in Leeds is projected to rise by just 44,500 over the next 15 years. They said the figures failed to take into account a number of local factors in Leeds.

Running until 5pm on Monday 16 November, the second and final consultation on future housing need in Leeds – Your City, Your Plan – is calling for views on potential locations identified for new housing, employment, retail and green space across Leeds up to 2028.

Following the consultation, the responses will be reviewed with the plans and comments then submitted to the government for examination.

Leeds City Council executive member for regeneration, transport and planning Councillor Richard Lewis (Lab, Pudsey) said that this latest consultation would be meaningful. He told the Dsiaptch at the launch of the consultation last month:

“Seeking and considering people’s views meaningfully is a fundamental part of this process, so I would encourage as many people as possible to tell us what they think of the proposed locations.
“We are required to have a plan by central government. The danger is we don’t is that we leave Leeds open to unco-ordinated development with developers doing as they please and picking and choosing sites tha the council has little power to turn down.”

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