City forced to rethink housing land policy

Leeds City Council will discuss how to manage future housing growth at a meeting of its executive board tomorrow following a series of planning appeals where house builders have been successful in overturning council decisions to reject schemes on greenfield sites.

The council has argued that these sites should not be built on while substantial areas of brownfield land remains unused.

However, local decision-makers have found their hands tied following recent legal decisions that keep rigid national housing targets in place. In the face of these rulings, and to protect against costly legal fees, the council says it has to reconsider its current policy and open up more sites to housing developments.

This move is an interim measure that the council can defend while a long-term strategy for housing growth is developed. The council is determined this will encourage appropriate development which maintains the green belt, creates sustainable communities and protects the distinct character of neighbourhoods.

The authority is publishing a prospectus to find out what local people think about the future of housing in the city. This informal consultation will give residents a chance to contribute to the new strategy for housing.

The executive board member for development and economy, Coun Richard Lewis, said yesterday: “These interim proposals are not ideal but do put in place some framework for housing developments while we produce a long-term strategy.”

The city council member for neighbourhoods, housing and regeneration, Peter Gruen, said: “We are publishing a prospectus to start discussing how we plan for future housing growth in a way that encourages regeneration and produces innovative development which benefits the city.”