Greens & Morley Borough Independents Try To Save Area Plans

At the Development Plan Panel held on Tuesday 9th March proposals were brought to scrap the West Leeds Gateway Area Action Plan and the EASEL(East and South East Leeds) Area Action Plan.

An amendment, which would have resulted in both being retained, was Proposed by Cllr Tom Leadley (Morley Borough Independent) and Seconded by Cllr David Blackburn (Green Party, Farnley & Wortley) but was defeated on the casting vote of the Chair. The proposals will now go to the Executive Board to be held on Wednesday 10th March. Cllr David Blackburn said

“The West Leeds Gateway AAP is well down the road and is only a few months away from possible adoption, to my mind to scrap it now is effectively to waste the public money which has already been spent on it. It also sends a message to our partners in Bradford, who are busy working with us on the Leeds Bradford Corridor Scheme, that we are not serious about the regeneration of West Leeds.”

He went on to say:

“Scrapping the AAP in the middle of a recession is to me plain silly, we are not going to be in recession forever and if West Leeds is to benefit from any upturn then this plan needs to be in place now.”