Greenbelt land unlocked in major planning application for 1,100 new homes
Planning permission has been granted to build 1,100 new homes and community development on a 170-acre site which sits on Greenbelt land.
Templegate Developments, the joint venture partnership of Evans Property Group and Keyland Developments, has been granted planning permission from Leeds City Council to deliver a new community of up to 1,100 new homes.
In addition, plans have been approved to build primary and secondary schools, public open space, a local centre, convenience store and associated infrastructure on the site within the Leeds Aire Valley.
The phase one of the outline planning application was initially identified as employment land but under policy for the Aire Valley regeneration area is now proposed for housing. This land was formally allocated for employment in the development plan as land at the time the application was determined.
Bringing forward the new development could create 500 new construction and operational jobs.
The planning consent will facilitate the transformation of Skelton Gate, located to the east of Junction 45 of the M1, into a sustainable mixed-use community development making a significant contribution to the Council’s housing requirement which seeks to deliver a minimum of 6,500 new homes within the Aire Valley by 2028.
As part of the development proposals, Templegate Developments has agreed to transfer those parts of Skelton Lake within the site to Leeds City Council in order for it to manage, in partnership with the RSPB, a new nature reserve.
Leeds City Council met yesterday and their Full Council approved adoption of the Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan (AVLAAP). Land at Skelton Gate for up to a further 700 dwellings can now come forward from the release of Green Belt to complement the consented scheme and to enable the development of a sustainable extension to the Main Urban Area.
Following examination, the Government’s Planning Inspectorate concluded that exceptional circumstances have been demonstrated to enable a new community to come forward in a more sustainable manner, making it the first land to be released from the Green Belt since the Unitary Development Plan was adopted more than 15 years ago.
The Aire Valley area of Leeds is undergoing a renaissance of regeneration with significant investment into several key employment developments within the Leeds City Region Enterprise Zone to the west of the site, where Leeds City Council’s Park and Ride transport interchange is now operational, connecting the area with the heart of Leeds City Centre.
Peter Garrett, managing director of Keyland Developments, said; “We are very pleased that our collaborative approach to dealing with the local planning authority, Leeds City Council, has allowed the team to secure planning consent for over 1,000 new homes and has unlocked, through the allocation, land for a further 700 homes. The combined housing numbers will allow us to create a sustainable community on this key site and make a significant contribution to meeting the City’s housing needs.”
James Pitt, development director at Evans Property Group, added: “The permission and complementing allocation on this former colliery site means Templegate Developments can now bring forward major investment in ground preparation and infrastructure works to facilitate the scheme. We are in dialogue with the Homes and Communities Agency to see how their Home Building Fund can assist in accelerating that process.”
