Avant Homes’ who have the option to develop the Wills Gill site on the Leeds Site Allocation Plan, are doing a pre-planning consultation .  They are asking for the opinion of local residents, Councillors and groups such as ourselves on their ideas for the site. The responses will be analysed and will go into a later planning application to Leeds City Council in a document to do with public consultation on plans.  This in itself is not a planning application, it is seeking public input to ideas for the site .

You will find the details here on the website of Avant’s planning consultants WYG here. Comments need to arrive with WYG by 25th October.

As you will be aware the ANDF knows the site well from our Neighbourhood Planning evidence. The plan is for 104 houses. Information you might like to consider as background to this site is as follows. Please put forward as many constructive ideas for improvements to this site’s design as you can. You can input your own ideas. (You will find the new National Design Guide 2019 in the bar to your right.)

The Leeds Site Allocation Plan for HG2-2 Wills Gill is here .You will need the Aireborough plan pages 49 and 50. Consider carefully the need to protect and enhance the Guiseley Conservation Area with two buffers on the western side, on page 50.

The supporting Leeds Heritage Background Paper which has to be complied with is here pages 28 to 32 .

Here is the Guiseley Conservation Area assessment particularly – Character Area 1. Will the plan protect and enhance what is described here?

Here is the Landscape Character assessment done for the Neighbourhood Plan – particularly page 37 and 42. This is an area where character landscape is in need of renovation and enhancement, does the plan help in this regard?

Here is the Leeds Core Strategy 2014 . Look particularly at these spatial policies SP1 Location of Development , SP6 Allocation of Housing Land, P10 Design, P12 Landscape, G1 Enhancing and Extending Green Infrastructure, G2 Creation of New Tree Cover, but others also apply. Are these policies being met by the plan? If not how could that be improved?

What is your view of the position of the road junction on to Queensway? At the eastern end of the site there was previously a link to site HG2-3 Shaw Lane, but this site has now been deleted. The Inspector’s Report made it clear that a requirement to “make provision for a vehicular and pedestrian link to HG2-3 was no longer justified given that the site is not required” has this been complied with?

Have a look at the benefits of the development put forward – what are your views? The Developers do say that this site was allocated to meet “the housing needs of the Aireborough Housing Market Characteristic Area over the plan period”.   This is incorrect.  The Wills Gill site was allocated to meet the Leeds Housing Target (based on need in Leeds as a whole) of 66,000 allocated site units, of which Aireborough’s target was 3% – determined by the supply of land here regardless of whether it was Green Belt or not. It was not determined by housing need in Aireborough.   However, a Leeds Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) from 2017 did determine that there was a shortage of housing types  in Aireborough in the following categories.  ANDF’s own analysis confirms this, which you will find here.

1. Small properties for starter homes
2. Smaller properties for people wanting to downsize
3. Retirement homes and Independent living

Does the plan give us the types of properties Aireborough needs? The SAP site requirements actually say this site would be suitable for Independent Living.

Judicial Review of the Leeds Site Allocation Plan

As many of your will be aware, the ANDF has launched a claim on behalf of local residents, for a legal judicial review of the Leeds Site Allocation Plan and whether is was sound to delete our Green Belt sites. Should the claim be upheld by a court of law we have request that the deletion from the Green Belt of this site, and 3 others, is quashed.

We have  currently raised half of the money needed, but we still need to raise a further £20,000 to met our target for the process and hearings. The claim has now been filed and we and the legal team are dealing with the follow up answers and process to the point of a court hearing.

If you are able to give or at least pledge a donation that will enable us to carry on this vital legal work.  Please also do spread the word far and wide.

You can donate in the following ways. Or if you an help with the fundraising effort then please email Liz Kirkpatrick at aireboroughnp@gmail.com

Local Giving – if you are a tax payer this is useful as we get Gift Aid

Cheque To – The Treasurer, 2 The Sycamores, Guiseley, West Yorkshire,  LS 20 9EN

Pledge Letter for an amount to be called in at a relevant time Same address as above. 

BACS Email – aireboroughnp@gmail.com and well let you have account details.