Labour cut community funding and CAB budget - but keep a tight grasp on their allowances!

A proposal by Morley Borough Independent Councillors to reverse cuts to Community Committees budgets and the Citizens Advice Bureau was rejected at a Full Council Meeting last Wednesday. The proposal, which would have seen Councillors special responsibility allowances cut by 30%, would have generated an additional £190,000 spending on local communities with an additional £50,000 to support local advice provision.

I am disappointed at the decision to reject our proposal. In these difficult times Councillors should be showing more restraint by accepting a reduction in their special responsibilities allowances which is paid on top of their basic allowance and can amount to an additional £20,000 a year! Community Committees need the extra cash to support initiatives from community groups within their wards and the advice service budget should be increased not reduced as many residents need this support when facing problems of bereavement, debt, benefit issues and other legal matters.

The Labour Administration in Leeds pays over £1/4 million in payroll loyalty payments to keep its Labour Members in line and backing the Leadership. As there have been 3 Councillors who have defected from Labour to Independent over the last week or so it would seem that Labour is falling apart both locally and nationally - regardless of what they pay their elected representatives!

Free Wi-fi for Morley?

A free Wi-Fi network could be coming to Morley Town Centre after Morley Town Council agreed a financing package to support a scheme at a meeting last Thursday. The network, which would cover the whole of Queen Street, would allow visitors to the Town Centre to log onto the network on every visit.

Cllr Robert Finnigan said “It has been the Town Councils ambition to bring the digital high street to Morley Town Centre for some time. If Morley is to compete with other towns around the area as well as the White Rose Centre then it needs to offer shoppers a positive digital experience which is what they now expect.”

A similar scheme proposed by the former MP Ed Balls was never implemented. A digital high street would offer click and collect options for those retailers offering the service along with a marketing tools to confirm offers at shops, cafes and restaurants in the Town Centre as well as confirming events such as Morley Arts Festival.

Cllr Finnigan said “Morley has fewer empty shops than most of the towns it is competing against. We are determined to make sure Morley Town Centre survives and thrives and to achieve this we need to move the high street in to the digital age.”

Councillors will now meet with Morley Chamber of Trade, Leeds City Council, the Police and the Town Centre Manager to develop the free Wi-Fi proposal further for practical implementation in the summer.

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.