Blueprint for Development of 70,000 Homes Approved

Members of Leeds City Council have voted to adopt a 15-year planning blueprint to guide all development across the whole Leeds district. It aims to deliver 70,000 new homes by 2028, giving priority to brownfield land for development.

The proposals, called the Core Strategy, were developed following seven years of preparations, including extensive consultation with the public, and reviews by two Government inspectors. The document, designed to help the council have greater control over future development, was produced to replace the existing Unitary Development Plan, which has not been updated since 2006.

However, not everyone is convinced that the new plan is satisfactory. A Leeds MP, Stuart Andrew, claims that the housing target could be disastrous for greenbelt land. He warned that the target set is too high, and that the data used to arrive at the 70,000 figure was outdated.

This, though, was a view not widely shared. Council leader Keith Wakefield said, “Its importance cannot be overstated, as it provides us with a modern blueprint for sustainable economic growth through development, housing and job creation across the whole city for at least the next 15 years.

“This is a highly significant step towards making Leeds the best city to live and work in the UK.”

Back to news