John Battle MP Welcomes Kirkstall Forge Plans

John Battle, Labour MP for Leeds West, welcomed plans to develop Kirkstall Forge site. Harrogate-based developers CEG have applied for planning permission to create a major housing, commercial, and leisure development on the 58 acre site, including preserving much of the green space and mature woodland.

“I am confident we now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a regeneration of the Kirkstall Valley that is both sensitive and worthwhile.

“Kirkstall Forge has got amazing potential to make the best use of this huge brownfield site to create hundreds of jobs, cafes and other facilities, and a good mixture of housing, built to be a community, a place with an identity of its own.

“I am also campaigning to get the train station at Kirkstall up and running to further enhance transport for Kirkstall, and for Bramley, as well as making sure the development is linked into good bus services joining the A65.

“Encouragingly the company redeveloping the Kirkstall Forge site has made real positive efforts at community consultation. They brought their initial plans out in the community – with a meeting at Hawksworth Wood and a good presence at Kirkstall Festival. Three times now I’ve been down to the old Forge buildings at public open days at weekends. They have kept me regularly briefed – without me having to ask - and have really made an effort to draw up a scheme that includes local views and ideas. I have been particularly impressed by the company’s integrated “green transport” plans.

“If they are prepared to do this much detail in advance, it augurs well for a real community rooted scheme, and it’s a long way from the usual approach of developers, when the first thing we learn about their plans is from a small printed notice on a nearby lamppost – often hoping nobody will notice or bother to comment. Other companies could learn a lot from their positive approach of early engagement with the local community.”

©John Battle MP 21 February 2005

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