It looks like Leeds City Council wrote to Wakefield prior to the planning meeting of the 22nd October -
[urlhttp://cominoweb.wakefield.gov.uk/Planning/StreamDocPage/obj.pdf?DocNo=4507975&PageNo=1&content=obj.pdf[/url
They were all so scared by Leeds threat to strongly object to the SoS they decided to vote it through unanimously anyway!
My favourite bit is this -
Quote The report progresses to set out that your Core Strategy
identifies that there is an existing substantial supply of employment land that it is likely to
satisfy your authorities needs up until 2021 (paragraph 8.7) and that there is also a
significant supply of employment land within the Leeds district that is available now or in the
short term (paragraphs 8.15 and 8.16). In these circumstances it seems difficult to justify the
release of large areas of Green Belt land.'"
Well central government disagreed with Wakefield's draft core strategy and they have been given a legal requirement to find 95ha on the M62 corridor! I bet you would love to get Yorkcourt to build in Leeds instead of Wakefield wouldn't you, rubbing your hands with the prospect of those juicy business rates and been lectured by Leeds for building on green-belt, one of the worst authorities in England for doing just that to Wakefield, one of the best in England. This is the authority that told Sheffield to keep it's nose out of it's business over the Leeds Arena development as well. Hypocritical does not go far enough!
