Group will fight plans to develop green land (From Wharfedale Observer)

Group will fight plans to develop green land

9:20am Wednesday 25th April 2012 in News By Jonathan Redhead, Ilkley/Otley Reporter

A new group battling plans to develop green land in Aireborough will be officially formed next week.

Two MPs have led calls for campaigners to form an action group to protect land at Rawdon Billing, which is listed in Leeds City Council’s Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) as a potential site for hundreds of new homes.

After heeding the calls from Pudsey MP Stuart Andrew and Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland, campaigners will meet next Tuesday to set up their group.

Councillors in the area have also voiced concerns about the land appearing on the SHLAA.

Interested locals met last week and a constitution and battle plan will be drawn up to get the action group going when it meets again in Rawdon next Tuesday.

The group has been assisted by the Wharfedale and Aireborough Review Development (WARD), who are battling green belt developments along the A65 corridor from Horsforth to ilkley.

Jennifer Kirkby, from WARD, said the Rawdon group would have plenty of work to do.

“They have to get Rawdon Billing off that list,” she said.

According to council documents, there are early proposals to develop more than 200 acres of green land at the Billing.

The Rawdon Trust has offered the land to developers and is currently in negotiations with housebuilders about the site, which falls between Yeadon, Rawdon and Horsforth.

Previously, the council has said it cannot remove a site from the SHLAA, but its presence does not mean it will automatically be allocated for development as part of the Local Development Framework, which sets out a vision for Leeds until 2028.