Valley Road Traveller Site Update

Over 800 people attended the MBI Valley Road Traveller site Public Meeting

I’m calling a further public meeting following news that the Valley Road Travellers Site planning application is to be refused with the formal refusal decision expected on Monday. The meeting will discuss the future use of the site and the potential for an appeal from the applicant.

The final refusal decision should be available on Monday and it appears the application is to be refused on amenity, highways and breach of planning policy reasons. This is a victory for the people of Morley and I thank those hundreds of residents who joined our campaign to oppose this inappropriate development.

The application for a large Travellers Site at Valley Road drew over 800 people to a public meeting organised by MBI Councillors in Morley Town Hall earlier this year. That was followed up with over 1500 objections lodged by residents opposing the application.

I am delighted we have been successful with our campaign but we need to go further and come up with a positive alternative use of the site. This could include an overspill car park for Morley Train Station or other industrial use. We also need to agree to continue the campaign in case the applicant decides to lodge an appeal.

Curiously Labour Councillor Neil Dawson was briefed on this decision before his ward colleagues and prior to Planning making the formal decision. Not surprisingly it was an attempt by the Labour Party to try and claim credit for the work done by others and to portray a firm line on Travellers sites. This is of course baloney as we have seen with Labours position on Cottingley Springs. This is a cynical attempt by the comrades to try and prop up Cllr Dawson in his failing attempt to be re-elected next year. I suspect it won’t succeed!

The date of the meeting will be set as soon as the refusal decision is made public.