Civic society in plea to residents over green field homes scheme

Aireborough Civic Society members say that hundreds of houses are already being built in Guiseley and that a further 98 planned on a field off Netherfield Road, opposite the Moon's factory, will only add to traffic congestion.

Society members are urging residents to make their views known at a planning inquiry due to start on Tuesday, February 1, at Leeds Civic Hall.

A Government inspector will be considering an appeal by developers Redrow against Leeds Council's refusal to grant planning permission for the 98 homes on the site.

Opponents have argued that, if permission is granted, another 200 cars will added to already congested roads, particularly the busy A65.

A spokesman for the civic society said: "It is extremely important that as many residents as possible attend the beginning of this appeal as it will show the inspector that we care about what happens to Guiseley, and it will help make the case for keeping the green field site."

The spokesman said that the field was put forward for housing in 1989 but this was long before anyone expected the closure of local factories such as Crompton Parkinson and Silver Cross, and others, which have become sites for new housing.

"Aireborough Civic Society is campaigning for this peaceful field to stay as it is, given all the housing developments in recent years.

"The A65 is already overloaded and there is planning permission already for over 2,500 new homes that have not been built. That means roughly 5,000 more cars adding to the gridlock at weekends and peak times," said the spokesman.

He said it was "incredible" that the application had been submitted when the full impact of over 200 homes on the Crompton Parkinson site just a few yards away was not known, nor the impact of the proposed 391 homes yet to be built on the High Royds site.

"Our environment and infrastructure just cannot cope with any more homes even before all the developments with planning permission are built.

"Far too often developers claim that a few hundred extra cars will make no difference, but is of course the total numbers – thousands – that need to be taken into account."

In a planning report, the developers say the Netherfield Road site has good transport links that will encourage residents not to use cars.

But this is disputed by Aireborough Civic Society which says that the only bus service to serve Netherfield Road is the off-peak hourly 966 service which will only take passengers to Guiseley or Yeadon.

Civic society members also point out that peak-time, Leeds-bound trains arriving in Guiseley are often full and this fact, coupled with the bus service situation, will mean residents using their cars for many of their journeys.

"We shall be asking the planning inspector to reject this appeal because of the extra congestion it will bring to the area and because there is sufficient building land on brownfield sites."

Aireborough Civic Society is now working with other community groups along the A65, including in Horsforth and Menston, in an attempt to control the planning applications for housing between Kirkstall and Ilkley, said the spokesman.

The group, called Wharfedale and Airedale Review Development, argues that the impact of more cars is felt not just in the vicinity of a development but also along the whole of the A65 corridor.

The civic society spokesman added: "We would urge all those residents throughout the A65 corridor to come to the planning appeal on February 1 and support Leeds Council's refusal of planning permission on Moon's Field."