£100,000 appeal to help fight village homes plans (From Wharfedale Observer)

£100,000 appeal to help fight village homes plans

10:10am Friday 11th May 2012 in News By Jonathan Redhead, Ilkley/Otley Reporter

Campaigners say they could need up to £100,000 to fight plans to build hundreds of homes in their village.

Menston Action Group (MAG) say the money is needed for their bid to overturn schemes which could see the homes built in Derry Hill and Bingley Road in the village.

Now, they have launched a plan to overturn planning permission granted by Bradford Council’s Shipley Area Planning in February, to developers Taylor Wimpey and Barratt Homes to build up to 300 homes at the two sites.

So far, MAG have written to Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, asking him to look at the Council’s decision, have a Village Green status public inquiry scheduled for August and have distributed a newsletter to 2,000 homes in the village outlining their strategy.

But Graham Booth, from the group, says it is also planning to force a judicial review into the decisions made by councillors in a special meeting at the Kirklands Community Centre and needs thousands of pounds to pay for expert lawyers.

He said MAG was calling on anyone in the village to help with the fighting fund.

“The bottom line for ‘the now’ is that Menston needs to raise up to £100,000 to fund our plan,” he said in a blog on the Wharfedale and Airedale Review Development (WARD) website.

“We are asking everyone who cares about our village and its future to help – an onerous task for a village of only 2,000 homes.

“However, if we are successful in our actions, some of this cost will be reimbursed.

“What price our little piece of England?”

MAG have also planned a village forum for Tuesday. Meanwhile, another action group has been officially formed to fight any plans for developments on Rawdon Billing.

The Rawdon Billing Action Group (RBAG) has been created to protect land, which has been listed in Leeds City Council’s Strategic Housing Land Availability Assess-ment (SHLAA) as a potential site for hundreds of new homes.

A spokesman for the new group said: “The group wants to get the local community fully involved in the campaign and will be embarking on a variety of activities.

“They include liaising with key Leeds City Council planning officers, building up technical expertise, establishing a website, publicity, fundraising and having a presence at the Rawdon fun day on Saturday, June 9.”