Councillors welcome Leeds City Council u-turn on housing numbers

Morley Town Councillors have welcomed the news that Leeds City Council have agreed a review process that will reduce the housing target set a couple of years ago in their Local Development Plan (LDP).  The target, of over 70,000 new properties to be built by 2028, will be reviewed to reduce it to a sustainable and realistic level following a recent consultation process.

Councillor Tom Leadley (Morley North), who lead the campaign for a lower housing target said “We have campaigned for years for a lower target which is achievable and would focus on using previously developed brownfield land instead of using greenfield sites for development.  This review is welcome but Leeds City Council should have been clear from the start that their housing target was unrealistic and unachievable.  We warned them years ago that this would lead to the decimation of Morley greenfield sites but it has taken them years to realise the impact of their decision.”

Following the setting of the higher target Morley greenfield sites at Bruntcliffe Road, Owlers Farm, Low Moor Farm and Laneside Farm have been granted planning permission to achieve the target bringing over 2,000 new homes to the wider Morley area.

Councillor Judith Elliott said “Leeds City Council’s failure has played into the hands of Developers who have made massive profits at the expense of Morley residents.  Valuable greenfield sites have been lost as Developers rip up green spaces and bury them under concrete.  Local schools, health centres and roads cannot cope with the level of development but Leeds City Council continued to listen to Developers and not to local people.”

The review of the housing target is likely to conclude in Spring 2018.