Final week for public consultation on future Leeds housing and development plans

Public consultation into the future development of Leeds district including the locations of 66,000 new homes has entered its final week.

The consultation entitled ‘Your city, Your plan’ which calls for views on potential locations identified for new housing, employment, retail and green space across Leeds up to 2028 comes to an end at 5pm on Monday 16 November after running for eight weeks.

So far more than 5,000 people have either given their views via www.leeds.gov.uk/yourcity or attended one of 15 drop-in sessions which took place at locations around the city.

The consultation is on two plans produced by Leeds City Council, the Site Allocations Plan which covers all of the district except for a specific area south east of the city centre, which because of its significant economic regeneration potential is covered by the separate Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan.

Full details and feedback can still be given through www.leeds.gov.uk/yourcity while printed forms are available in libraries and one stop centres although online feedback is preferred.

Leeds City Council executive member for regeneration, transport and planning Councillor Richard Lewis said:

“The response to the public consultation has been good so far, especially with some of the drop-in sessions being packed out which was great to see, but we still need as many people as possible to fill in the feedback forms before it closes next Monday.”

The plans follow key principles including a focus on bringing long-term empty homes back into use, building on brownfield sites as a priority, and bringing forward opportunities for development which will help support regeneration, make best use of infrastructure or provide new services.

The plans also include potential sites to meet the needs identified in the Core Strategy for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople.

Following the conclusion of the consultation, the responses will be reviewed by the council to consider the need for any changes, prior to submitting the plans to the government for independent examination.

To take part in the consultation visit www.leeds.gov.uk/yourcity

Notes to editors:

The plans follow on from the Core Strategy which was adopted in Leeds last year after being endorsed by a government inspector with 70,000 new homes identified as being needed up to 2028. This figure includes an allowance for new development through demolitions and ‘windfall’ sites, which means the Site Allocations Plan and Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan allocates land for a net total of 66,000 new homes.

To provide these homes the plans split the Leeds district into 11 geographical housing areas with the new homes to be developed in three phases. Of the 11 areas, the two highest in terms of receiving new housing would be the city centre and ‘inner area’ of Armley, Beeston Hill, Belle Isle, Gipton and Harehills, Hyde Park and Woodhouse, Hunslet and Seacroft to help boost regeneration and economic growth in those parts of the city.

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact:

Leeds City Council press office,

Tel: 0113 395 0244