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A Proposal for
A VISION FOR
INNER NW LEEDS
1 Leeds HMO Lobby, which has long campaigned on
the particular problems of Inner NW Leeds, welcomes the Area Committee’s
Project Plan of 26 October 2006 (in response to community representations)
for a Vision for the Area. The Lobby recognises that many policies
are in place for the benefit of the Area, and badly need urgent
action. The Lobby does not believe that an additional over-arching
policy is necessary. The Lobby does consider that there is a need
to co-ordinate (and complete) the range of existing policies.
2 In response to the Project Plan, para 4.1, Leeds
HMO Lobby considers that:
(1) the purpose of the ‘vision’ should be restoration
of the Area, by promoting its strengths and solving its problems;
(2) what it can achieve is co-ordination of present policies
(and plugging gaps); and
(3) how it can be developed is by cataloguing, monitoring
and appraising policy development.
3 Leeds HMO Lobby makes three recommendations
for a Vision for Inner NW Leeds.
3.1 At a moment of critical change, Inner NW Leeds
badly needs a succinct Vision as a focus for action. (The Lobby
has proposed the concept of Leeds Left Bank as a way of
encapsulating such a Vision.)
3.2 The Vision must comprise two objectives.
(a) The Vision must address the peculiar problems of Inner NW Leeds,
which are unique in the country. (The Lobby recognises that there
are a range of problems in the Area, and that different neighbourhoods
have different concerns. But the Lobby is convinced that one over-riding
issue dominates the Area, and lies at the root of most of the problems
– and that is demographic imbalance. The solution therefore
lies in addressing housing issues in the Area.)
(b) In order to help solve the demographic problem, the Vision must
also promote the particular strengths of the Area, in order to attract
a diverse demographic. (The Lobby has outlined how it believes this
might be done, as part of the NW District Plan, in its Leeds
Left Bank proposal, adopted in November 2004, and revised in
July & October 2006.)
3.3 The Vision’s objectives should be pursued
by co-ordinating (and completing) the current range of policies
which bear on Inner NW Leeds. The following policies should be included.
(a) Holistic policies (supporting the
Vision as a whole)
(1) Headingley Renaissance (District Centre of Central
Headingley).
(2) To add: Leeds Left Bank
(whole of the Area).
(3) To add: Inner NW Area Action
Plan (all aspects of planning in the area)
(b) Demographic policies (addressing the
key issue, the demographic base)
(4) Shared Housing Action Plan
(redressing the demographic balance, and its impacts)
(5) Area of Housing Mix.
(c) Special policies (addressing specific
issues)
(6) To add: Transport Strategy (probably the second major
problem in the Area).
(7) Inner NW Area Delivery Plan (addressing especially
community safety, streetscene, youth provision)
(8) Neighbourhood Design Statements (to preserve the built
environment, e.g. Far Headingley)
(9) Cumulative Impact Policy (licensed premises)
(d) Foundation policies (background city
policies)
(10) NW District Plan
(broad Plan for the whole NW District, should include Leeds
Left Bank)
(11) Vision for Leeds (basic concept for the city as a
whole)
(12) Unitary Development Plan (includes the Area of
Housing Mix) & emerging LDF.
(13) Leeds
Housing Strategy (basic housing policy)
(14) Leeds PRS Strategy
(especially relevant to Inner NW Leeds)
(15) To add: Strategy
for Housing Students in Leeds (in preparation)
Leeds HMO Lobby, 6 November 2006
Leeds HMO Lobby
email: hmolobby@hotmail.com
website: www.hmolobby.org.uk/leeds
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