Councillors join community campaign against Tingley housing plan

Morley councillors are joining the community led campaign again 299 houses on a site off Westerton Road and Haigh Moor Road in West Ardsley.  The plan, recently lodged with Leeds City Council, is on a greenfield site allocated by Leeds City Council for housing development.

Councillor Judith Elliott said “A significant part of the proposed site is in the Morley South Ward and, if it goes ahead, will impact on local primary and secondary schools, health centres and roads.  We are supporting the communities campaign against this plan.

The site was initially a Phase 3 housing site, not be to released before 2028, but was proposed as a Phase 1 site for immediate release by Leeds City Council around the same time the application was formally lodged.

Councillor Robert Finnigan said “Many local residents are raising their concerns regarding the timings of both the immediate release of the site by Leeds City Council and the lodging of this controversial housing plan.  The site, as proposed, will have a significant impact on local primary schools as 299 new homes will generate over 75 children in the primary sector, around 10 children for each year group.  Both Hill Top and Westerton Primary Schools are full and cannot accommodate these children.  Additional pressure will also be put on Woodkirk Academy, Leigh View Medical Centre and local roads.”

Morley Town Councillors are presently battling with developers at Dunningley at Tingley, having attended every minute of the Public Inquiry concerning an application for over 700 houses which reconvenes this Tuesday .  They also supported the community campaign in Chidswell in Dewsbury on the border of West Ardsley where Kirklees Council are proposing 2,000 new homes and an industrial estate on greenbelt land owned by the Church Commissions.

Councillor Finnigan said “We are fighting developers on three fronts now and will back the community campaigning in all three.  The cumulative impact on the area should all three applications succeed will overwhelm local infrastructure with West Ardsley residents paying a heavy price as they lose out on school places, wait longer for appointments with the health centre and suffer higher levels of pollution and congestion as local roads are overwhelmed.”