The 2024 AGM was held in Guiseley Methodist Church on 2nd July 2024. There was a reasonable number of members in attendance to hear a report on the events between the Green Belt Challenge launch in July 2019 to it being finalised with the Revised Site Allocation Plan Report in January 2024. This process had confirmed that all Aireborough GB sites would remain in the GB until such time as a case was made for their removal with a GB boundary change.
During this time the ANDF focus had been on the SAP Remittal; with Barrister Jenny Wigley KC being asked to once again help the Forum with the Inspector’s Hearings. The Forum had also maintained community engagement on all the planning changes that had taken place, from changes to the NPPF, the Leeds Local Plan, and individual Aireborough planning applications.
The other major ANDF projects during this time had been various improvements to the Guiseley Wells Pocket Park, and contributing to Leeds 2023 with the Guiseley Gap Circular Walk Leaflet – which has been a great success. During the first 2020 Lockdown, various Forum members had helped with a variety of local schemes, from making scrubs for medical personnel, to using social media to highlight walking routes through the Aireborough landscape and the identification of wild flowers. Both of the latter used information gathered in the Aireborough landscape and ecology surveys.
Details of the challenges to come were also discussed; these included the Leeds Local Plan Update 2021 which is due for Inspectors Hearings during 2024 and concentrates on policies to do with the declared Leeds Climate Emergency. These include local energy provision, 20 minute neighbourhoods, biodiversity, and ‘Net Zero’ design standards. There is also the new Local Plan 2040 which will yet again be looking at housing targets and a new Site Allocation Plan. This too will have consultations in 2024. The ANDF also needs to do a new Aireborough Housing Needs Survey.
After such a lengthy period, the current ANDF Steering Committee is standing down, as required, and is in the process of recruiting a replacement committee. Three new members of that committee were nominated and approved. It was agreed that the old committee will stay on as a co-opted group until such time as a new Steering Group is up and running. At that point the new group will make decisions about future plans including the Neighbourhood Plan. The new UK Government is yet to signal the role of Neighbourhood Planning in their push for planning reforms. (NB At the time of the AGM the new Government had not been elected but it was expected, and there had been some details about use of the Green Belt as potential housing sites.)
Aireborough Neighbourhood Development Forum 
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