Labour waves White Flag at Developers

Housing Developers are lodging numerous speculative planning applications on Greenfield sites around Morley following confirmation from a recent Court Case that Leeds City Council did not hold a 5 year development land supply for new homes.

Applications have been lodged for over 750 new homes at Dunningley in Tingley with a further 550 proposed on Laneside Farm in Churwell by Persimmon Homes. Barratt’s have submitted a planning application for a further 200 homes on Scott Lane off Bruntcliffe Road and Miller Homes have announced a further 200 homes proposed at a site off King Street in Drighlington.

The failure of Labour controlled Leeds City Council to agree a lower achievable and sustainable housing target has led to this rampage by Developers who aim to concrete over Morley’s Greenfield sites. Leeds City Councils target of 74,000 new homes by 2028 was always unrealistic and allows Developers to cherry pick Greenfield sites while ignoring previously developed brownfield sites that need regenerating.

Leeds City Council has also announced that Developers already hold planning permission for over 18,000 new homes, mainly on brownfield sites, which they have not yet built.

There is the new speculative proposal from Miller Homes in Drighlington and we know Developers are hovering over a Greenfield site to the rear of Street Lane in Gildersome. It is clear local primary schools are already full, local roads heavily congested and local health centres struggling to cope with demands from patients already living in the area. There are no coherent plans to deal with the overwhelming demand these new homes will bring and we will therefore be opposing each and every one.

Morley Borough Independent Councillors recently met with MP Andrea Jenkyns who shares their concerns about the over development of Morley Greenfield sites. She has agreed to request a Planning Minister visits the constituency to discuss local concerns.

Labour votes to close Siegen

Morley Borough Independent Councillors made a final bid to prevent the closure of Siegen Manor at a Leeds City Council meeting last Wednesday. The proposal, contained within a white paper resolution, pledged the Council to postpone closure for a further 2 years.

This final option to prevent the closure of Siegen Manor failed. We called on the Council to suspend the closure of all three homes on the closure list until there are guarantees of suitable accommodation of a better quality within the local area and despite the support of Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green Party Councillors the ruling Labour Administration rejected our call.

Leeds City Councils Executive Board voted to close Siegen Manor at its September meeting. The decision was referred back for further consideration following a Scrutiny Board Inquiry but the Executive Board reconfirmed the closure decision at its October Meeting.

We think closure is the wrong decision. Leeds City Council is gaining an additional £5 million a year – every year – via the Social Care Levy on Council Tax bills. It also agreed a £4million grant to Yorkshire Cricket Club towards guaranteeing test cricket in Leeds. This money should be used to postpone any final closure decision while better options are examined. The residents in Siegen Manor are some of the most vulnerable in our community and they deserve high quality care and accommodation. There is no guarantee this is what they will get if - as proposed - they are moved into the private sector.