Councillors have voted against plans for a major Leeds housing development of up to 550 homes.
Concerns over traffic congestion, an 'inadequate' road network and the sustainability of two planning applications to build 400 homes on the former Clariant site and a further 150 homes on the adjacent Riverside Mills site between Horsforth and Calverley were rejected at a plans west meeting.
Panel members heard of proposals for a new bus service from the site and improvements to the congested Horsforth and Rodley roundabouts - including traffic signals at the notoriously busy Horsforth roundabout.
The developers also offered money towards footpath and cycle path links and agreed a contribution for local primary school education. There would also be a convenience store on the site.
But councillors said that the two proposals - which had generated widespread local oppostion and more than 150 objections - lacked sustainability and highlighted problems with traffic congestion in the area and the pressures extra pupils would put on local schools.
Impact on A65
Guiseley and Rawdon councillor Graham Latty said he had major concerns about the impact the development would have on an already crowded A65 and Horsforth Roundabout. He added:
"When I came onto the council, developments like High Royds and Silver Cross hadn't been developed yet - and they're now major sites. Every development that adjoins the A65 affects the amount of traffic that comes into Leeds and the developers haven't demonstrated that you can have the extra traffic movements this development would create.
"Do not forget that the Kirkstall Forge site further down the A65 is still to be built on. The whole of that part of Leeds is bearing the brunt of development in the city. I know it is a bit if a 'nimby' argument, but Leeds is a big place and there are other areas that would welcome develpment."
Headingley Liberal Demcorat Jamie Matthews said the development 'wouldn't work without something like a train station there'. He added:
"To put it crudely, the schools are full and the roads are full. I believe these are honourable developers but the site is not sustainable for housing, it's too isolated."
Pudsey Labour councillor Mick Coulson said people always complained about traffic on the A65 with every major application, but said he'd rather have development on a brownfield site like this than lose a greenfield one.
'Not demonstrably sustainable'
One of the speakers at the Civic Hall meeting, Horsforth Civic Society chairman and founder member of the Wharfedale and Airedale Review Development group Martin Hughes, said that the proposed development was not 'demonstrably sustainable' and would put further pressure on an already stretched local infrastructure.
Hughes pointed to congestion on the A65 which brought the road to 'gridlock' at peak times and similar issues at Horsforth Roundabout.
Another speaker against the plans, Calverley and Farsley Conservative Andrew Carter, spoke about the potential impact of more pupils on the already crowded primary schools in Calverley and of increased traffic congestion at Rodley roundabout.
Sue Ansbro, of one of the developers Harrow Estates, spoke in favour of the development. She said that she was confident that the site was sustainable and would provide high quality homes for local families.
She said the impact of developments at nearby Kirkstall Forge and Woodside Quarry had been taken into consideration and that the proposals to improve Horsforth and Rodley roundabouts and other road imporvements mitigated the impact that this particular development would have on traffic congestion in the area.
Councillors voted against approving the plans by seven votes to two. The proposals will be brought back in a report to next month's plans west meeting with reasons for refusal.
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