New hope for Menston campaign group (From Ilkley Gazette)

New hope for Menston campaign group

7:40am Saturday 5th June 2010

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Villagers are hoping national changes in planning policy will save their green fields from mass development.

Menston Action Group (MAG) believes a revised regional spatial strategy issued by the Coalition Government could prevent hundreds of homes being built on Bingley Road and Derry Hill.

The land was removed from Green Belt protection by a Government planning inspector in 2004, contrary to Bradford Council’s recommendations, and developers Taylor Wimpey and Barratt Homes are expected to submit plans for more than 300 homes this month.

But in a letter to chief planners, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles said the Government intended to return decision-making on housing and planning to local authorities, without the framework of regional numbers and plans.

Campaigners are now waiting to hear whether the new guidelines can be applied to previous planning decisions. MAG chairman Philip Moore said it was great news but that the battle would not be over until the green fields were returned well and truly back in the Green Belt.

He said: “The new Government is sending out a clear message to local councils. It is simply not acceptable to allow the countryside to be ripped up without any regard to what local people want.

“These green fields in Menston were previously allocated as housing sites by the old regime, based on flawed advice.

“The fields no longer need to be concreted over in order to meet previous centrally-imposed housing targets.”

Representatives from Bradford Council, Menston Community Association and MAG were due to discuss the issue at a neighbourhood forum last night.

MAG is urging villagers to prepare letters of objection and sign a petition, and has already started a fighting fund to mount a legal challenge. The group is inviting residents to attend a meeting at Kirklands at 7.30pm tomorrow.

Shipley MP Philip Davies, who has backed campaigners, said he would continue to do all he could to help.

He added: “Whilst the new Coalition Government’s speedy changes to planning policy are extremely welcome and will prevent these unwanted and inappropriate developments from arising in the future, it is not yet clear how it will affect land already allocated for housing in the UDP.

“I have already had a provisional meeting with the Minister to discuss this and I will do all I can to help residents in their campaign.”

The chairman of Menston Community Association, Alan Elsegood, said there was no evidence that anybody in the village supported the development but that there was no indication that the planning decision could be reversed at this stage.

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