West Leeds residents can have their say on the future housing strategy for Leeds – including a lower future housing target for the city.
Consultation will run for the next six weeks inviting views on the selective review of the Core Strategy, which underpins all development in Leeds.
This includes improving housing quality and a revised overall housing target for the city of providing 51,952 new homes from 2017 to 2033. If supported and endorsed by the government, this would replace the current target of 70,000 new homes between 2012 and 2028.
The figure has been recommended to be reduced following a review of the housing aspect of the strategy to take into account the latest figures as well as new government guidelines on assessing future housing need.
Together with a phased approach to bringing forward sites for development, the extended delivery period from 2028 to 2033 will offer further flexibility to respond to levels of housing need in the city over time.
This revised figure has been agreed and put forward for public consultation by the council’s cross-party development plan panel.
Other aspects of the review for public consideration include elements around housing standards, accessibility, affordable housing, greenspace, sustainable homes and electric vehicle charging points in the city.
To take part in the consultation, visit this site for all the background information and a response form.
The information is also available at all council-managed libraries, community hubs and one stop centres.
Two drop-in sessions will be taking place at the Civic Hall in the city centre, one for the public from 2pm-7pm on Thursday 1 March and another for developers and consultants on Thursday 15 March from 2pm-5:30pm.
Green belt consultation
Running alongside the Core Strategy review, the council is also carrying out public consultation on proposals to take 33 green belt sites from out of land originally earmarked by the council for development until 2028.
The sites in West Leeds include:
- Upper Carr Lane, Calverley;
- Calverley Lane, Calverley;
- Rodley Lane, Rodley;
- Hough Side Road, Pudsey (pictured above);
- and Acres Hall Avenue, Pudsey.
The sites may still be developed in the long term but won’t be part of the council’s Site Allocation Plan, which sets out development until 2028.
To take part go to this site or visit any council-managed library, community hub or one stop centres. The deadline for views on these plans is 5pm on Monday, 26 February.
Isn’t this all a little too late after all hasn’t councillor Richard Lewis referred to this as procedural nonsense. He would appear to be right as an area called tyersal gate which is on the site application plan has already had houses built on it
“The green paper must consider the range of housing for older people, from mainstream and accessible homes to supported and extra care housing, as well as access to adaptations and repairs. ” A need to integrate housing services with health and social care services has been recognised in the care and support statutory guidance. The Department of Health, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government and NHS England have backed a memorandum of understanding to support joint action on improving health through the home. To the committee, the health consequences of unsuitable housing should be reflected better at local level. The report recommends housing services having equal status to health and social care services in the planning and implementation of partnership services and related accountability. Government, the report says, should monitor plans for closer working between housing, health and social care organisations and include mechanisms to address housing issues having a direct impact on health outcomes. On the interface between housing and social care, the committee heard that some council social services teams were not routinely considering extra care housing – where onsite care and support is included – as an alternative to domiciliary or residential care. Members maintained extra care was an important option citing evidence from Jeremy Porteus, of the Housing LIN, who said at least one third of people moving into residential or nursing care could potentially be offered either extra care or social housing”. In evidence, Age UK told the committee the social care green paper also needed to consider helping older people adapt their own homes and build accessible housing.