Labour Betrayal and more dodgy dossiers

The now infamous dodgy dossier - known formally as the Local Development Plan - was agreed by the Labour Group at the Full Council Meeting last Wednesday as they rammed it through with their majority despite efforts by the MBI group and others to prevent it. The plan - which sets the wider Morley housing targets at 7200 - which can only be accommodated on Morley and Ardsley greenfield and greenbelt sites and with the impact that will have on local roads, schools and health centres - will now go out to consultation.

And how did our local Labour Councillors do after their pledges to protect local greenfield and greenbelt sites in Morley and Ardsley and Robin Hood. They capitulated and all four of them Cllr Dawson, Cllr Renshaw, Cllr Mulherin and Cllr Dunn - despite their rhetoric locally - couldn't wait to put up their hands to support this dodgy dossier renamed Labours non Local Development Plan. Its a betrayal of their local communities!

The MBIs got a bit of a kicking from the Comrades for standing up for our communities with claims that we were opening up the Council to a legal challenge. Why - because Labour locally backed Labour nationally with unrealistic and unsustainable housing targets back in 2008. We have the financial crisis and the housing collapse since and they still hang on to these bizarre targets (agreed by our own beloved MP Ed Balls when in the cabinet).

So what can be done? This is the opening skirmish in a battle local communities need to win. We need to be united to block this plan.

And what facts can we use to block it? Well. Leeds presently has granted 26,000 none developed planning permissions - most on brownfield sites - across the Leeds City Council area. Present recorded completions are about 1600 a year which means we don't need any greenfield land for a further 15 years at the present rate of Development.

And what about the economic benefits of development on greenfield sites? The economic benefit to local communities in unproven with most Developers bring in their own (non local) teams to do the work. Additional new homes bonus money and Community Infrastructure Levy money also goes into the Council. There are no guarantees that one penny comes Morley's way and - with a Labour majority at Leeds City Council - you can almost guarantee where the money will be spent!

We are encouraging people to lodge formal objections to the plan over the next 6 weeks. We will continue our battle to retain Morley and Ardsley greenfield and greenbelt sites. This battle is too important for us to loose!

Hopewell Farm Clean Up!

It is often important - at the time your campaigning on the big issues such as greenbelt protection or retaining policing levels - that you don't forget the quality of life issues that impact on peoples everyday lives. This includes the community they live in and what can be done practically to improve their environment.

And that's way I am striding out with my colleagues on Saturday 25th February- litterpickers and plastic bags in hand - to do a community litterpick on the Hopewell Farm Estate commencing at 10am.

We will be delivering two community skips for local residents to use to help us give the estate an early spring clean. I think it is vital to go out an meet the community on these occasions who will often keep you updated on the challenges their community faces while helping to keep the area a bit tidier.

We have been on the Hopewell Farm Estate before and it has been a positive experience as the community has joined us to form a partnership to improve the environment and clear what is a pleasant green space in the centre of the estate.

We have introduced new street cleansing rounds in the area and - even though it is early days yet - we are seeing more street cleansing staff tackling the areas and locations that need clearing up and a better focused and more targeted way. We have a series of these events lined up for the future. Check this blog and the Morley Observer to see when we are likely to be in your area.

Here's to a rubbish day next Saturday!

LDF Plan - more dodgy dossiers from Labour!

A dossier on proposals for Leeds City Councils Local Development Plan (LDF) is presented to Executive Board for approval this afternoon. The dossier - which is as dodgy as Blair's WMD Iraq dossier - claims we need 7200 new homes across the Morley area (that's almost 500 every year for 15 years!) to absorb the additional population growth for Leeds.

The figures are indeed questionable. The dossier claims that Leeds has grown substantially over the last 20 years but a quick look at a document from LCCs Planning Department published in 1974 shows the population has grown by little more than 10,000 over the last 38 years. This desire - which is testosterone fuelled - for Leeds to be a mega city of 1 million by 2030 is not realistic, achievable or desirable.

The housing plans - leaked to the MBIs several weeks ago - show Morley Greenfield sites on the hit list while other areas get off with limited development. The map generated by the Planners claims up to 13,000 new homes as Morley is designated as a "major settlement" with up to 1000 homes proposed for Gildersome as well as up to 2,000 for East Ardsley. The present infrastructure cannot take this level of development and a quick glance at the map shows other greener areas of the City protected.

And where does the money go from all these new homes if they are built. Some assessments state that the new homes with infrastructure contributions and the new homes bonus will generate £40 million. This is passed to LCC for them to spend on their "priority areas". You can guarantee Morley and its associated villages wont be one of them!

The conclusion to reach is that Morley, because of its location, takes all of the pain and Leeds - especially the Inner City - gets all of the benefit!

Morley's full and we will battle to protect every greenbelt and greenfield site!