We're in danger of becoming Leedford, warns councillor (From Ilkley Gazette)

Councilor calls for green belt protection between Leeds and Bradford

3:00pm Thursday 26th January 2012 in Local news

Hundreds of new homes at Menston would overload the infrastructure of neighbouring communities such as Guiseley, it is being claimed.

And the massive development would deal a severe blow to the green belt between Leeds and Bradford, according to Guiseley and Rawdon councillor Graham Latty.

Councillor Latty argued that the Menston development would have an adverse effect on neighbouring communities along the A65, and he is warning that the two cities will become “Leedford” as the greenbelt separating them is eroded.

Speaking at a meeting of Leeds City Council, he said: “One of the biggest contributors to the clogged-up infrastructure of Guiseley and the ongoing problems all the way down the A65 is traffic from outside the Leeds boundary.”

He said cars from as far away as Burley and Addingham used the road, and hundreds of new homes built in the area over the last ten to 12 years added to the problem.

“Now we are facing the prospect of several hundred homes being built less than half a mile from our boundary by another authority. These houses will be bought by people with no interest in Bradford. They will automatically think of Leeds as their natural centre.

“Menston has always been in reality a dormitory for Leeds. Guiseley has its nearest supermarket and shopping centre, the school can’t cope with extra children on the scale this could produce, and those who don’t drive to work will be filling up the trains at Menston Station so that Guiseley people will have an even more difficult job getting on to a train.”

Coun Latty argued that the financial rewards in the form of the Community Infrastructure Levy would go to Bradford, leaving Leeds with the problem of dealing with a vastly over-loaded infrastructure.

He added: “When some six years ago we allowed High Royds to be developed we brought Leeds to within half a mile of Menston. Now if this proposal by Bradford were to go ahead another slice of green belt would disappear and Leeds and Bradford would be in greater danger of becoming Leedford, and whatever case for preserving greenbelt we are left with would be dealt a severe blow.”