We estimate around 1,500 people came to the site allocation consultation today, (maybe more) which was attended by both the Head of Leeds Forward Planning, David Feeney, and the Head of Transport Planning,  Andrew Hall, as well as some of the staff involved in the site allocations and sustainability assessments.  Leeds planners had their work ‘cut out’ answering searching questions from 2pm until 8pm – the only lull came with a reduction in the rate of people arriving around 5.30pm; at 8pm the room was still absolutely full of people.

Other Drop-In Sessions

There was a great deal of infomation to take in, and not all of it readily accessible. If you would like to go to another session in another area,  here is the timetable – there will be some paper maps of Aireborough we are told and some of the documents.  There is a session in Otley tomorrow, and Horsforth on 3rd October.

We do understand there are copies of all the documentation at Rawdon, Yeadon and Guiseley libraries, and also on-line here.  All the documentation can also be found on line.

Comment Forms Paper and On-Line

You will have to fill in one form (either paper or on-line)  for each of the sites you want to comment on !!  Alternatively, the Planning Inspectorate have said that people can make comments in any form they wish – see their advice.

The paper copies of the comment forms ran out at 3pm,  and more had to be sent for, which also ran out.  Leeds have given us an downloadable copy here pdf copy for download.  You can send comment in on line link here, or on the paper copy where you may well need to use an extra sheet of paper.  There is a pdf guidance note here for completion.   We really do advise not to send comments in yet.

If you start to fill the form in on-line now,  do not submit, but go back to it when you want to add more. However, this is not an obvious process, and we advise to use the paper copy for rough notes, and then either send a paper copy(s) of fill in on line when you know you are ready to send to Leeds City Council.

Email comments should be sent to sap@leeds.gov.uk, or by post to,  LDF Publication Draft Consultation, Forward Planning, The Leonardo Building, 2 Rossington Street, Leeds LS2 8HD

Help with Comments

We will be publishing some guidance on what to look at, in what order and key points you might like to consider.  The main areas are points on green belt purpose, of which there are 5.  Then there are points on sustainability factors  (eg transport, ecology, schools) – for that you need to refer to the site sustainability reports – these are in a large document here – Aireborough’s report is page 90-99, and the assessments scorecards for chosen sites and those not chosen are on pages 225 and 233.

Earlier in the year a group of volunteers and members from the Aireborough Neighbourhood Forum compiled some draft reports, which you will find here as a start.  We have also compiled a library of information on Aireborough which you will find here.

Your Comments and Queries To Us

We would be interested  in hearing any comment or queries you have on what you were told at the consultation that will help us put together our guidance  – equally,  a number of people gave us information they had on sustainability issues – so if you have something that would be of help then email us and we can make sure the information is put to good use.  Our email is aireboroughnp@gmail.com.  We will do our best to help.

Next Steps In The Process

The site allocation are not yet a ‘done deal’ – they have to be approved as sound and legal by a Planning Inspector appointed by the Government.  The process is that once Leeds close the consultation they will consider all the comments made to see if the plan is suitable to be sent to a Planning Inspector for examination.  If it is, then there will be a hearing in Leeds in early 2016, which is a formal affair, rather like a ‘select committee’.  There is a question on the comment form asking if you want to take part in that hearing, or public examination – anyone can take part, but it is up to the Planning Inspector how this is to be arranged.  The hearing will have a number of people there including planning consultants representing land owners and developers, developers themselves, barristers, and assorted others.  The ANDF will most definately be attending the hearings to represent the findings and input to the Neighbourhood Plan.

Views To Local Representatives

You can also send views on the overall site allocations plan, or the process to our local Councillors and  MP’s – it is their role to represent you to Leeds City Council and to the Department of Communities and Local Government.   Leeds City Council is supposed to present a Local Plan that has stong input from local people (should be in the Statement of Community Involvement – but we haven’t found it yet), and they are supposed to have collaborated with neighbouring Local Authorities and kept records of agreements – you will find there is a Duty to Collaborate (technical term for working with other LA’s)  report in the documents.

Cllr Graham Latty – Guiseley and Rawdon – Graham.Latty@leeds.gov.uk
Cllr Colin Campbell – Otley and Yeadon – Colin.Campbell@leeds.gov.uk
Stuart Andrew MP – stuart.andrew.mp@parliament.uk
Greg Mulholland MP – greg.mulholland.mp@parliament.uk

Views on Drop-In to Leeds City Council

If you have views on the process today,  your ability to understand the allocations, or the process, then we suggest you email Chief Planning Officer Tim Hill, and the Executive in Charge of Planning, Cllr Richard Lewis – copy in a relevent local councillor and MP, and us if you like aireboroughnp@gmail.com.

Tim.hill@leeds.gov.uk
Richard.lewis@leeds.gov.uk