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!
I wasn't aware that the "B" in MBI stood for "Brigadoon".
ReplyDeleteYour stance surprises me, Robert. At a time when we are experiencing the downside of the Sweeney Todd attitude to economic management you seem to be, uncharacteristically, hellbent on constipating investment in the local economy.
Housebuilding, on a large scale, would bring jobs, money and a solution to future housing need in the Morley area. The huge increase in customer base would also help re-vitalise the town centre. Aren't these the aims of the MBIs?
Leeds may be diverting the development money elsewhere, at the moment, but I'm sure a smart fella, like yourself, will wangle some of it back for infrastructure benefits.
Greenbelt is a flexible term. Yes, there is a small loss of greenbelt, but there is absolutely no reason why current Morley brownfield sites could not be converted into urban greenspace (unless you are planning to put caravans on it). Harrogate has successfully maintained an inner-urban greenbelt, The Stray, for two-hundred years. Flats, alone, are not the answer, and proper homes with decent-sized gardens can be just as fulfilling as living next-door to a field, especially if one has a family.
My impression has always been that you were trying to attract investment, shoppers and tourists (???) into Morley so why chuck this opportunity away?
Several years into the future when there are no local shops, no local jobs and no local houses for native, young Morleans this may be held up as a bad decision. Far from being Morley Independent, it will be much more the case of Morley Dependent.