Plans to build houses on greenfield land in south Leeds, which were opposed by nearly 400 people, have got the go-ahead.
The applicants – Barratt Homes Yorkshire West and Priestgate Morley Ltd – intend to build 168 homes on the site between Bruntcliffe Road and the M62 about 1km south west of Morley town centre.
Leeds City Council’s south and west panel agreed officers could grant planning consent once a legal agreement covering details of the scheme had been signed.
The decision represented a double blow for campaigners trying to protect Morley’s greenfield sites as the panel, as previously reported in the YEP, the panel also agreed 92 houses could be built at Daisy Hill.
Planners received 392 letters of objection to the plan, which was also opposed by ward councillors and Morley Town Council.
The objectors argued that land earmarked for employment uses would be lost as part of the scheme, brownfield sites were available for development, more houses would add to the traffic congestion on Bruntcliffe Road and the town’s infrastructure would be unable to cope as schools, doctors, dentists and health centres in the area were already full.
As part of a legal agreement connected to planning consent, the developers will provide £800,000 for educational improvements, which could be used to provide extra school places.
Coun Robert Finnigan (Morley Borough Independents, Morley North) said schools in the area were already over-subscribed and he doubted the cash contribution being provided by the developers would solve the problem. He said: “The new school at Newlands cost £10m.”
He was also concerned that land allocated for employment uses would be lost as part of the scheme. Coun Finnigan said employment land should be protected as it brought jobs to the area and pointed out that the council had in the past had successfully opposed a development scheme at a planning appeal on the grounds that industrial land would be lost.
But a report to the panel said there was a significant number of vacant and undeveloped industrial sites in the area. Click here to register and have your say on the stories and issues that matter to you
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