Labour back Developer against Drighlington Community

Pitty Close Farm in Drighlington also know as Spring Gardens

Campaigners in Drighlington have pledged to battle on after Leeds City Councils Plans Panel agreed a housing application for 200 houses on Pitty Close Farm in Drighlington. The decision to grant planning permission follows a long campaign of opposition with Drighlington Parish Council, Morley North City Councillors and local MP Andrea Jenkyns all backing residents who opposed the plan.

 Cllr Robert Finnigan said “There was wide scale opposition to these plans from residents and all elected representatives who cover the Drighlington area. Figures from Education Chiefs confirmed that Drighlington Primary School had no room to accommodate the additional 60 children that will come from this site in the primary sector and also confirmed no spare capacity at Birchfield and Gildersome Primary’s to take these additional students. The Planners report also confirmed the site breached Council Highways guidance on access roads and the Councils own accessibility standards for secondary schools. However Labour Plans Panel members voted it through despite opposition from Independent, Lib Dem and Conservative Councillors.”

 The site, off King Street in Drighlington, was allocated as a phase 3 site in the Local Development Plan which should have left it undeveloped until after 2028 but Leeds City Council failed to prove it had a 5 year land supply after Labour Councillors backed a 74,000 new homes housing target.

 Cllr Finnigan said “Leeds City Council is now having to review its unrealistic housing target to reduce the number to prevent Developers ripping up Greenfield sites across Leeds. Despite this review Leeds City Council continues to back Developers instead of communities opposing unsustainable development.”

 Cllr Finnigan has contacted local MP Andrea Jenkyns to request that the application is called in by the Secretary of State for planning  because the application breaches guidance in Central Governments National Planning Policy Framework.

 Cllr Andy Hutchison from Drighlington Parish Council said “I can unreservedly confirm that the support for the application to be ‘called in’ is supported by Drighlington Parish Council.”

 Leeds City Councils Plan Panel has already agreed to housing development on Low Moor Farm, Owlers Farm, Bruntcliffe Road, Scott Lane, Laneside Farm and Churwell New Village with around 1600 new housing units granted planning permission. No additional school places at primary or secondary schools across Morley have been agreed nor any  highways improvements to deal with additional traffic.