Churwell Park Improvement Plan confirmed!

The children’s play areas in Churwell Park are set for a major improvement plan following work by Morley Borough Independent Town and City Councillors. The improvement plan – which is supported by a fund of over £100,000 – will see the first major investment in the playground for over a decade.

My colleague Cllr Bob Gettings has been talking to Churwell residents who have raised their concerns about the fact that the playground is beginning to look tired and dated. We have identified funds from Developer contributions which will allow us to refurbish the playground and bring it right up to date.

The improvement plan is to go out to consultation next month and this will influence the final plan which will go out to tender later in the year.

This initiative has been led by Churwell Town Councillors who have campaigned relentlessly for this improvement plan. We need to have the support of local residents with any plan that is drawn up and this is why a full consultation programme is being undertaken.

The improvement plan should be finalised during Spring and we

hope the work will commence late summer and be completed before the end of the year.

Community Centre Summit - the way ahead.




Lewisham Park Centre

 I met with local community centre users and Morley Borough Independent Councillor colleagues to explore plans to prevent the threatened closure of two community centres in the Morley area proposed by Labour Leeds City Council. Community Centre Groups, who use the threatened centres at Lewisham Park and Gildersome Youth Centre, agreed a way ahead with us to look at delivering a sustainable future for both centres.

My colleague Cllr Wyn Kidger confirmed that the Lewisham Park Centre does excellent work with children, young people and the disabled and it is essential we find a way to keep the centre open. Our discussions explored the option of the local groups taking over the centre. This would provide a positive solution as the Centre would be better used and more revenue brought in to support it.

Lewisham Park Centre users will now meet with Leeds City Council officers to explore the options for a community take-over of the building which will cut costs as well as increase usage at the Centre.

My ward colleague Cllr Bob Gettings confirmed that the Groups using the Youth Centre in Gildersome were keen to explore the options of transferring to Gildersome Community Centre on Town Street but that would probably require an extension to accommodate all groups.

It was agreed that Gildersome Community Groups would form a plan of what accommodation they need and to explore the potential for extending the Meeting Hall with planners and Outer South Area Committee staff.

We are looking for a commitment from Labour Leeds City Council that funds which might be generated from the sale of the Youth Centre would be used to improve and extend the Meeting Hall. This would provide the savings Labour Leeds City Council are looking for and all the groups presently using the Youth Centre would be accommodated in an extended Meeting Hall.

We will be meeting senior Council staff over the next two to three weeks to explore the options of delivering long term future plans for both centres. We must do all we can to prevent Labour Leeds City Council closing these important centres that support such great work across all our communities.

Save Low Moor Farm Campaign

Another Morley Greenfield site under threat

We have started a campaign to save a Greenfield site from development following a housing planning application from house builders Persimmons. The site, at Low Moor Farm off Wide Lane in Morley, is subject to an application for over 200 houses with access off Albert Drive.

Our Campaign co-ordinator Wyn Kidger – who led the campaign to stop development at Church Fields in East Ardsley, says “We have launched a similar campaign to protect Low Moor Farm and we are adopting the same approach. We will be delivering a flyer to all residents affected by this housing proposal encouraging hundreds of objection letters. We aim to have the same success here as we had at Church Fields.”

The Greenfield site is presently used for grazing horses and provides a green corridor between residents on the Newlands and Rydal Estates and Dewsbury Road.

Wyn says this is a controversial application not least because the access is off Albert Drive at the end of the Rydal’s and Newlands housing Estates. Anyone who knows the estate is aware that there are already too many cars using the estate and giving planning permission for a further 200 houses – that’s a further 400 car movements – will just gridlock the area. Everyone knows that local schools are already full and health centres overwhelmed. As Leeds City Council has granted planning permission for a further 400 plus houses on other Greenfield sites across Morley is it essential residents back our campaign to retain this important Morley Greenfield site.

Labour Leeds City Council voted to adopt a housing target of 74,000 new homes by 2028 at its meeting last November although this target was opposed by Morley MBI Councillors.

Labours LDF has not done any favours for the residents of Morley. We need to defend our Greenfield sites as we successfully did at Church Fields. This campaign will get the community involved again with the aim of saving this valuable Greenfield site.

Morley Car Park Plan delivered!

Morley Train Station

I was briefed this week on a proposal to bring additional car parking to Morley Train Station which is targeted to be completed in 2016. The proposal, which has financial support from the West Yorkshire Transport Fund, will see a car park provided on Valley Road with improvements including disabled access and CCTV security.

We have been campaigning for many years to get car parking and disabled access improvement at Morley Station. We believe there are sites on Valley Road which could accommodate a car park. This would enable more local residents to take the train into Leeds leaving the roads less congested and improving public transport user rates.

The plan, which has gone through a viability study, is part of a larger package of proposal to improve train links between Leeds and Manchester – including full line electrification and an increase in the number of trains using the line.

We have always believed that the use of land for a car park to support Morley Station was the best use of the land on Valley Road. Proposal for any sort of residential development at this location is a nonstarter and this plan has our fully support as it will improve public transport links for all Morley residents.

I am optimistic that this plan will go ahead. Everyone who uses Morley Train Station knows the hassle you face it you want to park and ride into the City Centre. Improving these facilities – along with the extra trains promised – means better use of public transport and less congestion – both good things. Disabled access and security of the station will also be improved – something we have campaigned open for many years.

We always said the land at Valley Road would be the best location for a car park to serve the Morley community. I am delighted that on this occasion our ideas have been adopted.

Lewisham Park Centre Public Meeting Update



Lewisham Park Centre under threat of closure by Labour

 There was an excellent public meeting at Morley Town Hall last Thursday to discuss Labours proposed closure of the Lewisham Park Centre and Gildersome Youth Centre. Over 200 people turned up and spoke passionately about the work they do and the activities they provide for local children, young people and adults. Groups from both Lewisham and Gildersome attended and made it clear that they backed the campaign to prevent closure.

It is clear that both centres must stay open as they provide a valuable service within communities that suffers from significant deprivation. The work all groups do amounts to thousands of pounds of unpaid work providing positive opportunities to residents both young and old.

I have so much respect for those volunteers who are clear and cut through all the rhetoric when it comes to putting their case passionately about why both centres need to remain open.

The campaign is now running and objection letters are being completed and sent to the senior officers within the Council who will be making the final decision.

A Working Group has also been set up to come up with a long term plan to make sure both centres are sustainable and survive and thrive in the future. This could mean Community Groups taking over the buildings or asset transferring them to their local Town or Parish Councils.

This really is about people power and communities coming together to resist the excesses of a Labour Administration which is disinterested in and detached from the people in Morley and Gildersome.

I am very optimistic and believe this campaign will succeed. With the people behind us we cannot possibly fail and both Lewisham and Gildersome Centres will be providing the support communities need long into the future.

Campaign launched to oppose Labours plans to close Lewisham Park Centre

Lewisham Park Centre under threat of closure from Labour

Morley Borough Independent Councillors have called a public meeting for Thursday 27th November at 7pm at Morley Town Hall to form a campaign to oppose the proposed closure of the Lewisham Park Community Centre. The proposal by Leeds City Council could see many groups left without a place to undertake their activities including dance classes and youth services.


The Lewisham Park Centre is well used by many local groups and there is not another community centre available within the local area. Many of the groups – especially the dance classes – have been using the centre for years and provide important positive activities for many local children and young people. This closure is not acceptable and we will be doing all we can to prevent it happening.

Labour Leeds City Council are proposing a series of community centre closures across Leeds and had previously closed a community centre used by local groups at Peel Street in Morley.

I know from personal experience what an excellent job these community based groups do. There is no realistic alternative option to the Lewisham Park Centre and we will bring together all groups to actively campaign to keep this centre open.

Labour Leeds does seem to have an obsession with closing facilities in Morley – such as Morley CAB, Siegen Manor and the Lewisham Park Centre. They are happy to close these well used and loved buildings while dumping piles of new homes on us that no one wants which will overwhelm local schools, roads and health centres.

The sooner we get to next year’s local and Town Council Elections and we can boot Labour out the better!

Labours LDF betrayal of Morley confirmed!

Labour Leeds Housing Plans for Morley

We backed a proposal for an early review of the 74,000 housing target proposed by Labour Leeds City Council in it Local Development Framework at a full council meeting last Wednesday.

The proposal, supported by the Morley Borough Independent, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green Party Councillors, would have seen an early review of the Development Plan to reduce the target down to 50,000 which would have saved many Greenfield sites from the threat of future housing development.

The 74,000 new houses target will overwhelm local schools, roads and health centres. This target is too high and will have a significant negative impact on local communities. Morley’s target of 7,400 new homes will see local families struggling to get their children into local schools and longer waiting times to see a GP at local health centres.

The Labour Administration used its majority to vote the Plan through despite all opposition parties coming together to propose an alternative reduced target.

This LDF plan is a Developers Charter which will allow house builders to rip up precious Morley Greenfield Sites such as Laneside Farm in Churwell and Spring Gardens in Drighlington. It will also give Developers the chance to avoid previously developed brownfield sites while they hover - like vultures - over Morley Greenfield sites. We will continue to campaign against this over development proposed for our communities.

Leeds City Council will start a process in 2015 that will identify the specific sites which will need to be developed to deliver the 74,000 target and will include a review of Greenbelt boundaries to accommodate this higher figure.

Labour – as ever the Developers friend – slavishly backed the 74,000 target giving backing to their mates in the House Building Industry to rip up Greenfield sites across Morley and beyond. Cllr Neil Dawson – a similar capitulator – offered nothing more than feeble words as his Labour Chums nailed the last nail in his election coffin next May. Morley Folk will not forget his duplicitous actions.

The type of housing we are offered in this plan is not affordable housing which will rehouse those on Morley’s Housing Waiting List but more Executive Style Housing. Local infrastructure cannot cope with this level of over development as local primary and secondary schools are full and Health centres packed. We will battle on through the site specific process next year to reduce the impact of this unachievable and unsustainable target foisted on us by Labour Leeds City Council.