Labour confused by ONS Housing Figures

We are calling for an early review of Leeds City Councils Local Development Plan following figures published by the Governments official statistics organisation the ONS. The recently published figures for projected new households across the Leeds City Council area during the life time of the plan show that the number of new homes needed across Leeds is substantially lower than the 74,000 confirmed in the LDF.

My colleague Cllr Wyn Kidger says the ONS figures project a smaller housing target of 44,500 up to 2028. This is a whopping 40% lower than those predicted by Leeds City Council. This means the target of 7,400 new homes for Morley is also wrong and an immediate review is essential.

Leeds City Councils higher target of 74,000 was agreed by a Planning Inspector last year although Morley Borough Independent Councillors proposed a lower target of 50,000 at the Planning Hearings.

My ward colleague Cllr Bob Gettings says the figures agreed by Labour controlled Leeds City Council are clearly excessive and their target does not fit at all with the ONS figures which are based on what is really happening with the housing market. This means Morley Greenfield sites, such as Daisy Hill, Bruntcliffe Road and Owlers Farm have been sacrificed to Developers when it was not necessary as the target that supported these developments was wrong!

We have one last full council meeting before the local elections to get all party agreement to a review of the Local Development Framework and reduce the target towards ONS predictions.

The MBIs have consistently argued the 7,400 housing target for Morley was unrealistic and would lead to overcrowded schools, congested roads and longer waiting times for visits to GPs surgeries. Our position has been vindicated.

Unless Labour Controlled Leeds City Council wants to pander to the demands of Developers, then there is no reasonable alternative than to review and reduce the housing target figure.

Bruntcliffe Cemetery Improvement Plan proposed

Bruntcliffe Cemetery could be in line for an improvement plan.

The cemetery, on Bruntcliffe Lane in Morley, has been the local burial centre for Morley for many years.

I visited the cemetery on a recent site visit and thought it was beginning to look a little run down. I have asked for an improvement plan to look at improving the look of the cemetery and also requested a change to working practises to bring in more council workers to work at the site.

The plan will look at improving some of the older graves which have often come under a state of disrepair. The plan is also aiming to cover improving and widening the pavements around the cemetery as well as providing a water supply for flowers.

My colleague Cllr Wyn Kidger - who has been working on the plan - says we have identified that Developer funds from the new Bruntcliffe Road housing development could be used to improve the cemetery and we are having a plan costed up to see if an improvement plan could be supported with these funds.

We are aiming to have a plan in place during the summer and are also aiming to set up a Friends of Bruntcliffe Cemetery group to support future improvements at the site.

Gildersome Youth Centre - public meeting report

I attended an excellent public meeting last night at Gildersome Youth Centre to discuss the future of the centre and a plan for the groups that presently use the centre if – as proposed by Labour Leeds City Council – it faces closure.

The work many groups at the Centre do is exceptionally important offering many opportunities for Gildersome Children and Young People. This includes the Scouting and Guiding movements, Youth Service and Child Care Groups. We value the work they all do and we have pledged to find them alternative accommodation within the village.

Our present proposal is an extended Meeting Hall on Town Street in Gildersome. There is room behind the Meeting Hall to extend and this would mean we have an improved facility with long term sustainability instead of running two centres which we will struggle to do with present financial challenges we face.

Many of the groups have an attachment to the Youth Centre on Street Lane but years of underinvestment by Leeds City Council have left it in a poor state and the money isn’t around to modernise it. Our plan would mean that money received form the sale of the Youth Centre would be used to improve the Meeting Hall with extensions where necessary and other improvements – such as an improved toilet block – being part of the plan.

Our plan goes to Executive Board for approval at the end of March with an early meeting in April with user groups to look at what their needs are and to come up with a plan for the building which will cover all those needs.

My colleague Cllr Bob Gettings opened this building over 40 years ago as a Gildersome Youth Worker and it has served the community well. We are giving up the Youth Centre with heavy hearts but the proposal we are working on will deliver an improved and sustainable community centre which should last for the next 40 years.

Scatcherd Park Bowling Club Pavillion - Improvement works begin

We have welcomed news that work to update Scatcherd Park Bowling Clubs pavilion is to start on Monday. The work is being partially funded by money from developers who are obliged to support the improvement of community facilities when new homes are build.

My colleague Cllr Judith Elliott says we have been working closely for many years with the bowling club to find the finance needed to update the pavilion which has been in a poor state of repair for some time. The new work will improve facilities for the bowling club and will encourage more local residents to get involved with the bowling community.

The £47,000 refurbish programme will be financed with a £37,000 grant from Sports England’s Inspired Facilities grant along with £10,000 from the section 106 Developer contribution fund.

My colleague Cllr Shirley Varley says we are delighted that we have been able to find the finance for this work to be completed. The bowling club is a thriving club and this will enable them to reach out to the community to get more people involved in the sport.

Perhaps the most interesting element of this story was the attempt by the Labour Party locally to muscle in on the project after all the work had been done to claim credit for it! It was a similar tale with Bruntcliffe Schools All Weather pitch. We spent months getting the finance sorted only to see a photo of Ed Balls and Neil Dawson - both of whom had done little to support the scheme and had avoided all the hard work - claiming it was something to do with them! It did rather blow up in their faces however as they were pictured with the previous Head of Bruntcliffe High School who was replaced following the schools failure to reach reasonable standards with its exam results. Cleary Labours touch is often the kiss of death for future success on many issues!

Magpie Lane playground to get improvement plan



We have welcomed the news that a playground off Magpie Lane in Morley is to be refurbished with money raised by a Developer contribution. The cash, which has to be used to improve local play facilities, will mean the playground, which is over 25 years old, brought up to date with an improvement programme.

We are delighted that the finance has been identified to improve this playground on Millbeck Approach off Magpie Lane. The playground is now showing its age and needs to be modernised. Local residents have been asking for this improvement for several years.

Residents and local primary schools will now be consulted on what improvements they want to see at the playground. A plan will then be drawn up with work on the refurbishment possible before the end of the year.

My colleague - Cllr Shirley Varley, who has spent several years on the refurbishment project, says “It has taken some time to find the finance to cover this improvement plan. It has been difficult in these challenging financial times to get the money together to undertake this much needed work. Now we have identified the funding it is important we get on with things as quickly as we can.”

Cottingley Springs Decision Day looms!

Cottingley Springs

We are waiting for the decision from the Secretary of State Eric Pickles MP on the planning application to extend Cottingley Springs Travellers site. The decision, which has to be made on or before 16th February, follows a controversial public inquiry into the application held last year.

My colleague - Cllr Bob Gettings - who attended the public inquiry with me last year is hopeful that the Secretary of State will back local communities and refuse the application to extend the site. Many of the Travellers on the site have backed the refusal campaign as they also believe that extending the site will mean it becomes too large and problems will therefor increase. The public inquiry received evidence from the City Council that 35 alternative sites were considered but rejected. A close analysis showed that these alternative locations were entirely suitable for smaller,  family based Travellers sites.

The Secretary of State Eric Pickles will receive a recommendation from a Planning Inspector about the expansion plan but will use his own powers to make a final decision. He has refused all similar applications over the last 8 months and many campaigners expect a similar decision over the next week.

My colleague - Cllr Wyn Kidger - who campaigned on the Valley Road Travellers site issue - says “It is accepted by many people, including many Travellers families, that alternative smaller family sites across the Leeds City council is what is required to reduce the problems of unauthorised Travellers sites. We hope that Eric Pickles will make a decision that reflects this view and refuses planning permission to extend Cottingley Springs travellers site.”

The Labour Council is likely to fail with this campaign of theirs to extend the Cottingley Springs site. It has little support within the Travelling Community and failed on most – if not all – relevant planning grounds. They will have wasted thousands of pounds of council tax payers money and probably lost a £1 million grant purely because they wanted to avoid using any of the 35 alternative site identified by the public inquiry because they were in wards represented by Labour Councillors. This will need to change and Eric Pickles is likely to send them that clear message over the next week.

Rooms Lane Closure Plan - what do you think?

Clearing up Fly tipping costs us thousands of pounds

We are to explore the closure of the Gelderd Road end of Rooms Lane in Morley following several incidents of fly tipping adjacent to the motorway bridge. We believe the closure would reduce the incidents of fly tipping which have cost the City Councils thousands of pounds to clear up.

My colleague Cllr Bob Gettings knows this has become a significant problem and clearing up is costing the Council money that could be spent on better things. It is clear that the Fly-tippers are coming along the far side of Rooms Lane from Gelderd Road to carry out this anti-social behaviour.

The closure will be delivered with a lockable gate at the end of the Rooms Lane track adjacent to the motorway bridge over the M621. The lane would still be open to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

Cllr Bob Gettings is asking residents what they think about this proposal before we develop it any further. We have proposed a similar plan previously but we need the support of local residents if we are to succeed with this project.

Residents can give their comments by ringing the MBI Office on 0113 2477538 or by emailing Cllr Bob Gettings directly on robert.gettings@leeds.gov.uk.