A huge thank you to everyone who came to celebrate the community tree being switched on.
thank you to Tingley Brass Band for playing and making us feel all Christmasy with the lovely carols.
Thanks to Mike and Graham for taking the photos on the night
Thanks to the members of WAAG who organised it and to those who donated Mince pies, we hope the children enjoyed the chocolate and glow sticks!
We hope it has given you a good start to the festive season.
Date 19/04/2022 
Report of the LCC South and West Plans Panel Meeting 14th April 2022 to consider Reserved Matters Planning Application 21/07156/RM for the erection of 289 dwellings on land bordering Haigh Wood.
Dear West Ardsley Residents,
WAAG was obviously pleased that last Thursday’s Plans Panel chose to defer the Redrow application (as WAAG requested) rather than to approve it during the 3 hour debate. They deferred so that more information could be supplied about the following:
Housing
Design and Placemaking
Ecology
A full tree survey from LCC Tree Officers with special reference to any that are to be lost during the course of the development. What is the quality of trees? Plus carbon capture estimates. What will be planted and provide carbon capture enhancement?
Consultation With Ward Members
Panel members were critical that neither Redrow nor the planners had consulted Ward members at all. They have requested proper Ward member consultation before the application returns to Panel.
This was the last Panel meeting of the current municipal year, and it appears that future meeting dates may not be fixed until Annual Council after the May elections.
WAAG intends to keep a close eye on what goes on in the next few weeks and will continue to try to obtain as good a scheme as possible from the developers. It was encouraging that Panel members seemed to identify with issues that WAAG raised.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our WAAG colleagues and associates who have given their expertise and valuable time, which has resulted, in this deferment. I believe the community owes them a big thank you.
Yours Sincerely
Peter Cowling Chair West Ardsley Action Group.
There is still plenty of time to comment on the detailed planning application 21/07156/RM for 289 houses either side of Haigh Wood. The submitted documents and objections already sent can be seen on the planning portal:
Through Councillor Foster, WAAG put a series of questions to the Leeds planning case officer who replied setting out the current position:
I write in relation to the above planning application and comments that I have received regarding the contents of the submission of the application and potential missing documents relating to a consultation exercise that has been carried out by the developer to date. I have looked through the application and cannot find the information referred to and, therefore, I have contacted the applicant’s agent to request this further information.
I understand from conversations with some of you that there are significant concerns that there is insufficient time to comment on the proposal and, therefore, I would stress that whilst we are waiting for the further information to be received, the application cannot be taken to a Plans Panel meeting for determination.
Through looking at the information we have received, at this stage I have also requested further information regarding the ecology of the site and the sustainability measures proposed for the dwellings. The application is still being assessed and further information may be requested once I have received comments from all our consultees (both internal and external consultees).
Once the information requested today has been received, I shall renotify the community and a further 21 days will then be allowed for further consultation. At this stage, although the current round of public consultation will formerly end this Friday (22nd), whilst I wait for the further information to be received the application is still live and people can still comment on the application in general.
I hope the above is of assistance and provides some clarity with regards to the public consultation of the application.
Kind regards, Mark Jackson.
The “RM” in the reference number means Reserved Matters. These relate to the approved outline application (17/08262/OT) so the principle of house building within the red line and the access points cannot be contested. And there’s no point in repeating the wider issues such as traffic levels, school places and health services; the outline plans were passed despite all that was said about these. WAAG does, however, encourage everybody to look at the application details online for themselves, so that they can make comments individually about any aspects of the proposals which affect them personally. For example, the comments which have already been made about the absence of satisfactory boundary treatment in a particular location, and the placing of a block of housing right next to an existing house. Detailed proposals still have to follow policies such as the Council’s Street Design Guide – and the western parcel for one does not!
(Some backup documents are confusingly named. Parcel A is the western parcel off Upper Green Way. B is the northern parcel off Westerton Road. C is the eastern parcel off Sandringham Drive. D is the big southern parcel off Hill Top Drive and Haigh moor Road.)
WAAG has made clear that the local community wants to contribute positively to achieve as good a standard of development as possible, having had to accept that development is going to happen. But WAAG also wants to ensure that it represents local people’s opinions about the important issues that remain, for example:
This is not meant as an alternative to directly made objections – do get these sent in via the portal link – but WAAG believes it is listened to and will be reinforcing a community based response to what is wanted.
Update on WAAGS request to be consulted on the Haigh Wood Development!
WAAG have received the following response in an emailed letter from LCC Head of Planning.
The local community will be consulted by the Local Planning Authority in due course should any future Reserved Matters applications are submitted. This consultation is a requirement for all applications within the General Development Procedure Order 2015. Furthermore, the NPPF states the importance of pre-application discussions with the Local Planning Authority and it would be expected, and certainly will be encouraged by the council, that before any Reserved Matters applications are submitted, meaningful pre-application discussions are held. At this point the importance of consultation and engagement with yourselves will be emphasised to the applicant; again this is considered to be good practice.
WAAG await further information and trust we will be contacted.
Kind regards
WAAG
Dear Councillors
I trust you and your nearest and dearest are all well.
I refer to my previous email of 8th November herewith. Sent on behalf of West Ardsley Action Group to David Feeney, copied to the above recipients and disseminated to the local community via West Ardsley Web site and email listing.
7 + weeks have elapsed and i have received no reply of any kind in response to this communication. It can only be assumed that LCC and their Planning Personnel are intent on ignoring our request to be included in the consultation process. Are they working hand in hand with the Developers, as they did during the period between the original refusal by Plans Panel, in effect leading to the subsequent overturning of the original decision.
Is the policy of LCC to continue to ignore local residents. And, despite our request to participate, in a “ Spirit of Cooperation “ to preclude WAAG from any further involvement in this process.
It was noted at the original Plans Panel meeting that the community received the support of your good selves to refuse the application. We are now asking for your support in eliciting a response to our communication herewith.
Thanks & regards
Peter Cowling
Chair , West Ardsley Action Group
F.O.A. David Feeney | Chief Planning Officer
Planning & Sustainable Development
City Development
Dear Mr Feeney,
We’re obviously aware that the Minister of Housing and Local Government has decided not to call in your clients planning application, and that the planning permission has now itself been issued.
This decision has led to a feeling of massive disappointment and much angst is being expressed by the residents of West Ardsley and Tingley toward LCC and their Planning Department. Notwithstanding this, the Secretary of States letter, whilst refusing the call-in, alluded to councils and COMMUNITIES making local planning decisions. We believe it is to the benefit of all parties, that the local community have some input into the planning process going forward and, it is within your remit to facilitate this.
You will recall that at City Plans Panel, a number of members had expressed concern at the applicant’s failure to involve the local community in any way during the preparation and consideration of the outline application. They felt that if there had been such involvement, there might in consequence have been less local opposition. They asked that it be a requirement that the developers should undertake local consultations as part of the detailed application process. We are, of course, aware that your officer chose to answer this concern at the time by addressing a completely different issue altogether – namely liaison during the
construction process itself. This avoiding of the issue does not, of course, make the original concern go away.
WAAG therefore would also ask, in a spirit of co-operation, that you should recommend applicants for detailed approvals to undertake active consultation with WAAG, preferably in advance of formal applications being made; and that you should yourself advise WAAG of, and copy to us, any proposals submitted to the Council for pre-application discussions, with a view to our having an input into that process. This is, of course, over and above the formal Council notification of every such application to all previous objectors, which we imagine will occur in any event.
Again, we would appreciate your formal confirmation that you will do this.
Thanking you in advance, for and behalf of the local community.
Yours Sincerely
Peter Cowling
Chair , West Ardsley Action Group
20/9/2020
WAAG UPDATE ON HAIGH WOOD HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PLANS
The government White Paper is proposing major changes to the planning system and they are engaging in a public consultation process. WAAG intends to respond to their consultation however, this is asking a number of questions, which will require considerable effort and knowledge to respond effectively.
Not withstanding this, as feared, the governments build, build, build announcement, which we believe is the purpose of the new white paper, will have the Developers rubbing their hands.
The Labour run Leeds City Council, have always had the intention to have this site developed, regardless of all of the objections raised. As confirmed by their about turn at the last Plans Panel meeting.
We have written twice to the LCC Solicitor arguing that the last meeting was biased and unfair and pressing the case for a further, open, Plans Panel meeting; this has been refused. We have had it confirmed by the LCC Solicitor that they intend to issue an approval; they are only waiting for the Secretary of State to make a decision on the request for “call in”.
For now here’s where we think we stand in relation to the big planning application for 299 houses.
www.westardsley.co.uk email: westardsleyactiongroup@gmail.com
We are proud to announce that our first campaign film – Help Save Haigh Woods (West Ardsley) is now live.
Today, the West Ardsley Action Group (WAAG!) have taken the bold step of purchasing a domain name for the village of West Ardsley and creating the West Ardsley community website.
We would like these pages to be about our community, for the community, giving you all the information and more at your fingertips. In the coming weeks we will be sharing news, campaigns, recommendations and things to do in our village.
Recently, some of the community have been fighting plans for a housing development in one of our green spaces. The message we have heard time and time again from this is how it feels like everyone is coming together and how it is fantastic to share in a like-minded community once again.
We don’t want this to come to an end, hence our mission to launch WestArdsley.co.uk
WAAG have also been working hard with residents to look at other issues affecting us all – such as bins and yes, dog poo (!), alongside other issues such as poor parking, etc.
WAAG will be featuring additional content to WestArdsley.co.uk on a regular basis in the coming months, so please do visit us often!
