By John Baron
Residents living in Calverley and Farsley have been encouraged to have their say on a planning blueprint for Leeds ahead of next Monday’s deadline (15 September).
Councillors Peter Carlill and Craig Timmins (Lab, Calverley & Farsley) have said any development should be focussed on brownfield rather than greenbelt sites.
They also say that housing which has planning permission but is not yet built should be deducted from the number of new homes required in the plan.
As reported by WLD, views are currently being sought on the Leeds Local Plan, a legal framework that will set out Leeds City Council’s vision and strategy for sustainable growth up to 2042.
The plan will guide how land will be used and developed. It influences planning decisions to ensure any developments meet the needs of the community and the environment.
A range of potential sites included in the consultation have put forward by developers, landowners, residents and others. They are not suggestions or endorsements from the council but were put forward in a ‘call for sites’ that the council must evaluate to see whether they are suitable for development.
Cllrs Carlill and Timmins said: “Please do have your say in the consultation – there is just a week left.
“It is important residents give their views on the individual sites included, but also on the overall methodology used for the assessment of sites – as this is key in ranking sites and choosing which sites would be selected.”
In their feedback on the plan, they say that development should focus on brownfield sites first, as has been the case in previous years with 80% of development in Leeds being on previously developed land.
They wrote: “The proposal to direct major growth to the city centre whilst protecting the character and distinctiveness of market towns and villages is welcome.
“As noted in the plan, there are 34,000 units with planning permission across the district that are not yet built – these should be deducted from the housing target. Government are right to act to ensure land is not landbanked and granted planning permissions are brought forward in a timely manner. There are also already-allocated sites that should be used before new sites are considered.”
They also said that the plan should provide a mix of housing in line with local need, not just larger homes, as well as provide a ‘substantial’ increase in affordable housing. They also called on the plan to bring local benefits, such as new/improved services, better transport links, green space and infrastructure.
The councillors’ full response can be found here.
Individual sites featured in the early stage of the plan include:
Calverley
- Estimated housing capacity 56, on land to the south of Leeds Liverpool Canal, west of Calverley Cutting and west of Harewood Drive, Calverley.
- Estimated draft housing capacity: 12, at 3 Crowther Avenue, Calverley.
- Estimated draft housing capacity:Â 26, land to the south of Upper Carr Lane, east of Reservoir Court, Calverley.
- Estimated draft housing capacity: 293, land to the south of Foxholes Crescent and east of Woodhall Road, Calverley.
- Estimated draft housing capacity: 171, land to the north of Carr Road, south of Clara Drive and west of Calverley Cutting, Calverley.
- TBC, Palmer Plants, Calverley Lane.
- Estimated housing capacity 363, Crossfield Farm, Woodhall Road, Calverley, Pudsey.
Farsley
- Estimated draft housing capacity 56, on land North East of Red Beck Nurseries, Ring Road Farsley.
- Estimated housing capacity: 527, land to the east of the A6120, west of Bagley Lane and north of Kirklees Drive, Farsley.
Have your say
The Leeds Local Plan on-line portal can be found by visiting the website.
Follow WLD’s ongoing coverage of the Leeds Local Plan here.