Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves met with volunteers at Rodley Nature Reserve to hear about the problems they’ve encountered due to work at Moss Bridge, which links to the reserve.
Work began last January on replacing the old swing bridge, which provides a link to a planned new housing development at Airedale Mills and also provides easy access to both Rodley Cricket Club and Rodley Nature Reserve.
During the visit, Ms Reeves met with volunteers at the Reserve and discussed the need to ensure that they are adequately compensated for the disruption caused by the delay to the re-opening of the swing bridge.
She said she will continue to work closely with the Nature Reserve to ensure that any further issues with the bridge are addressed in good time.
Access via the new bridge has been restricted for the past two Wednesdays as engineers look to tackle ongoing snagging issues.
Detailed plans for 67 houses on the site were deferred by councillors last month to allow for further discussions between council officers and developers to take place. Issues included the layout and design of the site, off-site parking and the lack of a meaningful green space contribution. The application will not come back before councillors until May at earliest.
I’m surprised Rachel Reeves isn’t hanging her head in shame over the shoddy way her Labour council colleagues have treated the nature reserve, the cricket club and all the local residents with this matter. No doubt she talked the talk, but I’d love to know what all those volunteers actually thought about her visit.
In answer to comments by ldsbfd March 31, 2023 At 7:24 pm – I am a volunteer at Rodley Nature Reserve and can assure you we always appreciate visits from our local MPs. Rachel Reeves has regularly visited and been a supporter of the reserve over the dozen years I have been involved. The workers at the reserve also have greatly appreciated the support of all our Bramley and Calverley & Farsley Councillors regardless of political persuasion during the problems we have been having due to the development and the canal bridge replacement. The problems we have been having aren’t political and councillors have to act with the constraints of planning laws and regulations.
With all due respect, I think we all know how flexible and variable the planning laws and constraints are, there are numerous examples all over the country which show how contradictory planning decisions can be. It also seems to me that the main opposition to the details of the planning application are from local councillors not of the ruling Labour persuasion, the latter seem to have been rather quiet in their views on this matter in my experience. Politics comes into nearly everything in life.
Hi ldsbfd My objections are on the planning portal on the public record. I also spoke at the plans panel in opposition. Best wishes Cllr Ritchie