Morley Sports Centre Expansion?

Morley Borough Independent Councillors are to explore the options of bringing additional swimming pool facilities following a recent visit to Morley Sports Centre. The Sports Centre, one of the best performing centres across the Leeds City Council area, has over 350,000 visits between April 2016 and January 2017.

Cllr Bob Getting said “We had an excellent visit to the fabulous facilities at the Sports Centre. The staff are brilliant and the number of visits by residents is fantastic. We were especially impressed with the Fitness Suite and the new equipment recently placed there. However staff told us that because the Centre is so popular there is a significant pressure for more swimming time. This cannot be done with the present pools which are being used full time but an additional pool would provide increased capacity for the centre to deal with this unmet demand.”

Morley Town Council is to receive additional Community Infrastructure Levy payments from the additional 2000+ new homes proposed for Morley over the new few years which could generate a significant capital receipt to support such an expansion.

Cllr Judith Elliott said “We have asked to meet with senior officers to explore if there is a realistic option for an additional pool. This may be an ambitious project and the lack of space or finance may prevent the delivery of such a new facility but we think it is important to explore all such possibilities.”

Laneside Farm update

The Developer Persimmons proposals for 550 homes on a Greenfield site on Laneside Farm Churwell caused further controversy after a planning amendment was proposed for a second entrance on Churwell Hill to access the new estate. The proposal would see a second entrance to the large housing estate with an access road off a present farmyard track.

Cllr Robert Finnigan said “This is regarded as a minor amendment but does nothing to resolve the problems this planning application brings to traffic congestion on Churwell Hill and with the junction on the ring road nor does it address the lack of places at local primary schools and health centres.”

Over 1000 objections have been lodged against the proposal which will still be valid against the new plans.

Cllr Finnigan said “We continue to oppose this development on this valuable Greenfield site. This is not sustainable development and any housing application at this location is premature. Our objections on Highways, Schools and Health Centre grounds remain valid and I would ask anyone who has not yet lodged an objection to do so as soon as possible.”

Churchfields update

 A decision made by the Planning Inspectorate and confirmed by the Secretary of State for planning matters to grant permission for development on a Greenfield site in East Ardsley has been condemned by Morley Borough Independent councillors. The appeal – which granted consent for over 300 new homes on Churchfields off Bradford Road in East Ardsley - follows a long campaign opposing development from residents and a refusal to grant planning permission by the Planning Authority.

Cllr Wyn Kidger, an active campaigner against the proposal said “This is a bad news day for local residents and a kick in the teeth for the campaign to retain this Greenfield site.”

The Planning Inspector granted planning permission for the new homes after he concluded that Leeds City Council could not demonstrate a five year land supply for new housing and that Churchfields and two other Greenfield sites would therefore have to be allocated for housing immediately.

Cllr Robert Finnigan condemned the failure of Leeds City Councils ruling Labour Group to get their housing targets right.

Cllr Finnigan said “Right at the beginning of the Local Plan MBI councillors proposed a lower housing target of around 50,000 housing units during the lifetime of the plan up to 2028. We believed this was an ambitious but realistic target. The Labour Group agreed a target of 74,000 which was neither achievable nor sustainable but this higher target has allowed unscrupulous developers to claim that more Greenfield land should be released. We predicted this outcome over 4 years ago and regrettably that nightmare vision has come true.”

Leeds City Councils higher target has led to speculative applications for housing at Laneside Farm in Churwell, Spring Gardens in Drighlington and Dunningley at Tingley with a cumulative total in excess of 1500 new homes.

Cllr Robert Finnigan said “Local primary and secondary schools are full, local health centres barely able to cope with present demand, local roads are congested and pollution levels rising. These housing targets are unsustainable and will mean local residents failing to get school places for their children, queuing longer in local traffic congestion and waiting longer for an appointment to see their GP.”

Glen Road parking improvement plan

Proposals to improve the parking problems on the Glen Estate in Morley have been welcomed by Cllr Judith Elliott. The plan – which will bring additional parking bays on Glen Road – follows concerns raised by councillors and residents.

Cllr Judith Elliott said “Parking has been a problem on Glen Road for many years and means people have often parked on the verges which makes them unsightly. This proposal is very welcome and will improve the parking for residents and reduce the damage of green verges on the Glen Estate.”

Leeds City Council leader visits Morley

The Leader of Leeds City Council Cllr Judith Blake and Leeds City Councils Chief Executive Tom Riordan visited Morley on a fact finding trip last Wednesday. 

They visited different areas within both Morley Wards including Drighlington, Gildersome, Morley Town Centre and Lewisham Park.

We took the opportunity to lobby for the changes we believe Morley needs. This included getting a better deal for Traders in Morley Town Centre with their business rates; help to get the Pavilion redeveloped and increased support for Morley Neighbourhood Policing Team.

The visitors also looked at several Greenfield sites in Drighlington and Gildersome and we raised our concerns about the impact of development on local roads, schools and health centres.

We lobbied for more support to redevelop and improve Morley Bottoms – especially Brunswick Street – and we were told that this would be explored to see what additional help can be provided.

The visit concluded with a meeting between Councillors, the Police, Chamber of Trade representatives and Leeds Youth Service to discuss future partnerships.

Labour waves White Flag at Developers

Housing Developers are lodging numerous speculative planning applications on Greenfield sites around Morley following confirmation from a recent Court Case that Leeds City Council did not hold a 5 year development land supply for new homes.

Applications have been lodged for over 750 new homes at Dunningley in Tingley with a further 550 proposed on Laneside Farm in Churwell by Persimmon Homes. Barratt’s have submitted a planning application for a further 200 homes on Scott Lane off Bruntcliffe Road and Miller Homes have announced a further 200 homes proposed at a site off King Street in Drighlington.

The failure of Labour controlled Leeds City Council to agree a lower achievable and sustainable housing target has led to this rampage by Developers who aim to concrete over Morley’s Greenfield sites. Leeds City Councils target of 74,000 new homes by 2028 was always unrealistic and allows Developers to cherry pick Greenfield sites while ignoring previously developed brownfield sites that need regenerating.

Leeds City Council has also announced that Developers already hold planning permission for over 18,000 new homes, mainly on brownfield sites, which they have not yet built.

There is the new speculative proposal from Miller Homes in Drighlington and we know Developers are hovering over a Greenfield site to the rear of Street Lane in Gildersome. It is clear local primary schools are already full, local roads heavily congested and local health centres struggling to cope with demands from patients already living in the area. There are no coherent plans to deal with the overwhelming demand these new homes will bring and we will therefore be opposing each and every one.

Morley Borough Independent Councillors recently met with MP Andrea Jenkyns who shares their concerns about the over development of Morley Greenfield sites. She has agreed to request a Planning Minister visits the constituency to discuss local concerns.

Labour votes to close Siegen

Morley Borough Independent Councillors made a final bid to prevent the closure of Siegen Manor at a Leeds City Council meeting last Wednesday. The proposal, contained within a white paper resolution, pledged the Council to postpone closure for a further 2 years.

This final option to prevent the closure of Siegen Manor failed. We called on the Council to suspend the closure of all three homes on the closure list until there are guarantees of suitable accommodation of a better quality within the local area and despite the support of Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green Party Councillors the ruling Labour Administration rejected our call.

Leeds City Councils Executive Board voted to close Siegen Manor at its September meeting. The decision was referred back for further consideration following a Scrutiny Board Inquiry but the Executive Board reconfirmed the closure decision at its October Meeting.

We think closure is the wrong decision. Leeds City Council is gaining an additional £5 million a year – every year – via the Social Care Levy on Council Tax bills. It also agreed a £4million grant to Yorkshire Cricket Club towards guaranteeing test cricket in Leeds. This money should be used to postpone any final closure decision while better options are examined. The residents in Siegen Manor are some of the most vulnerable in our community and they deserve high quality care and accommodation. There is no guarantee this is what they will get if - as proposed - they are moved into the private sector.