Planning minister to meet WARD campaigners against development (From Wharfedale Observer)

Planning minister to meet WARD campaigners against development

1:21pm Friday 25th January 2013 in News

Campaigners who are fighting to prevent unwanted development were due to meet with planning minister Nick Boles yesterday.

The minister will be in Guiseley and Rawdon to talk to members of community groups, including Wharfedale and Airedale Review Development (WARD) and the Aireborough Neighbourhood Forum.

He will also visit Menston to meet members of the High Royds Sports Association, a new group which is trying to form a sports park in the area.

WARD recently posted a response to Mr Boles after he was quoted on the subject of green space, saying he was going to put moral pressure on people to tell him where the next generation was going to live.

On its website, WARD said: “Traffic congestion, overcrowded schools,  primary school children being bussed miles to find an education, older people having to find a doctors’ surgery over ten miles from home; all of these are the reasons people are objecting to what is really unsustainable development.”

Jennifer Kirkby, from the Aireborough Neighbourhood Forum, said: “Nick Boles is a keen advocate of localism,  so as the Aireborough Neighbourhood Forum we want to talk with him about our experiences of it – both good and poor.”

She said they also wanted to talk to him about funding to pay for the drawing up of a plan.

She added: “Finally, we want to want to talk to him about the ideas that local people are having for an Aireborough renaissance, given all the past development and overcrowded infrastructure.  We want to stress that, as localism suggests, it is only local people who really know what is wanted and that the Government should support the idea, not play lip service to it.”