I can't see this getting turned down now. While it's never been officially been said by anyone the LDF & PI are intertwined it's been clear for a long time that they are. I ca't see anything other than good news on the 19th now.

To be honest in some respects I'm a little disappointed it's panned out like this, will the 19th be an anti-climax now we've had a sneaky look under the wrapping paper?

What about the net gain in greenbelt the district will get from this reshuffle? A huge hole in the argument some critically forgot to mention.

It's a -hole of an ex-colliery, used mainly as a dumping ground.

I truly do celebrate the use of such land for the regeneration of the area. It can now be put to use that benefits the wider community and breath life into a dying area.

That opinion stands regardless of any new stadium being built for WTW.

It's not a fruitful oasis of flora and fauna you know.

Oh but it is. Those twitchers from the PI will be stringing up their anoraks as we speak.

Then there's the lost Roman settlement that's still to be dug up....

I think to put this in such simplistic terms is to miss the whole point of the LDF process (nationally, not just in Wakefield). Greenbelt policy is widely supported but also very widely misunderstood by the general public. People think greenbelt means virgin greenfield land where no development of any kind is allowed, but greenbelt protected areas contain housing, commercial and industrial development and contains both green and brown field land. The idea of greenbelt and the reason it is reviewed every 10 years or so (and now with the LDF's that will be around every 15 years or so in future) is to promote certain areas for future development and protect others during that plan period, and possibly for many decades to come, but equally some only for the next 10 or 15 years. Equally, land allocations have to be reviewed every 10/15 years and the most suitable land both released for development, and in the case of much of the North of England, other former industrial land reclaimed and protected.

This is the case with Newmarket, Wakefield needs land for continued growth in it's primary growth sector, distribution and logistics warehousing. So land has to be released, but equally other land will be greenbelt protected meaning that in the next plan period the greenbelt covering the district will increase from 70% to 71% of WMD.

Great news for you all. Some noses in Leeds will be greatly put out of joint by this news.

Fender for one. I don't she'll be able to cash in another favour with Cllr Wakefield anytime soon. Wonder if she'll put her house on the market like she said at the PI, with that smug look on her face, one I doubt will be there this evening.

Emergency meeting around the counter of the Post Office in Methley 9am tomorrow me thinks!!!!

That's all well and good, but let's be honest, how many people on this forum would have even cared about this development if it weren't for the stadium? The RFL have created a situation whereby fans are probably more excited by this than they were by yesterday's comeback.

There's always one!

Jobs, stadium, net gain greenbelt land, improved road network on NM Lane & Aberford Rd, new educational facilities, everyone's happy.

Obviously not.

Surely the decision has been made before this outcome though? Even so its more bait for us if this decision doesnt go ahead its a utter disgrace !!! Hope this is a step from us becoming great again.

Point taken and I agree, in part, with your comments about the RFL. You are right, less people would have cared out the outcome of this sites allocation in the LDF, both in opposition and support, if it was not for the stadium. However, would that have changed the findings of the inspector, I very much doubt it! While we had no choice to play the numbers game I always said that in reality it is not be about how many support or oppose this site and it's future development, it is about the relevance and quality of the arguments presented. Well, we and the people that did support it because of the stadium or not, have been proved right in that this sites was deemed suitable for the development by an independent inspector.

IA, now that the land is out of grrenbelt, what are the possible hurdles/ objections that can prevent a positive outcome to the PI, or does this mean that the development is a certainty ?