7,200 new housing units target confirmed

The housing target for the Greater Morley area up to 2028 has been confirmed at 7,200 new housing units at Leeds City Councils Executive Board meeting last Wednesday. The new target, for the Outer South West Housing Market Characteristic area which includes Morley, was confirmed at 11% of the Leeds District Wide total.

This is a disappointing decision by Leeds City Council as this target can only be reached by ripping up Morley Greenfield sites such as Laneside Farm in Churwell and Low Moor Farm in Morley. Local residents are already aware that schools are full, roads are congested and health centres unable to cope with the patients they presently have registered with them. This additional burden of new housing will overwhelm local infrastructure.

The proposals from Leeds City Council Executive Board will now go out to consultation for local communities to comment. The Site Allocation Plan will then be considered at public hearings by a Planning Inspector later in the year who will have the final say on the proposals.

We will again be gearing up to attend the public hearings in the Autumn to put our case to save as many Morley Greenfield sites as possible which are under threat from this overwhelming housing target. Greenfield sites from Drighlington across to East Ardsley could be lost if we cannot persuade the Planning Inspector to reduce the impact of new housing across Morley.

We are supporting initiatives that bring affordable homes to Morley and are having discussions with Developers about how new bungalows can be brought to Morley for older and disabled residents,

We need more affordable homes for local people, especially families and older and disabled residents. This plan offers us unaffordable executive style housing which does nothing to resolve the housing crisis we have in our area. We will be doing all we can to get a housing plan for Morley which is sustainable and provides for the real housing needs of local people.