By Don Mort, local democracy reporter
Plans for a new housing development can go ahead – despite dozens of objections from people living nearby.
Planning permission was granted for nine houses on a site off Alder Drive in Pudsey.
Leeds City Council received 42 objections from nearby householders who raised concerns over road safety and the impact on green belt land.
Conservative councillor Andrew Carter also objected and asked that it was referred to the council’s South and West plans panel.
A majority of councillors voted for approval (five approvals and two abstentions) when the panel met today (Thursday, 26 March).
Cllr Carter had concerns over the impact on nearby homes and called for the scheme to be deferred to a future panel.
He said: “Residents are quite rightly concerned that this application represents a step towards further development.”
The meeting was told only a small section of green belt land would be affected by a new access road.
Pudsey resident Damon Sugden said there were ‘fundamental questions of deliverability’ regarding the scheme.
A council planning officer’s report recommended councillors approve the plans, subject to a raft of planning conditions. The report praised the ‘high standard of design that respects local character’.
Alastair Curran, of developer Newett Homes, said the scheme would provide much-needed family homes.
He said: “The proposal is policy-compliant. In fact the proposal is supported by consultees and would secure several public benefits.”
He argued that the development would be policy complaint, less than 4% of it was on green belt land and that it was surrounded by properties on three sides.
The panel’s decision means final approval is delegated to the council’s chief planning officer, subject to conditions.
Additional reporting: John Baron
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I wonder how many of the objections have come from residents of Alder Drive itself? Most of that road looks like a fairly recent development itself, so it seems a bit rich for them to object to a few more new houses being added on.
The access road to the built is single track road
With no pavement….residents walk up and down the road…pushing prams…with small children and dogs..not safe for an extra 20 something cars…….resident Alder Drive