Boundary ‘battle’ is not befitting (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Boundary ‘battle’ is not befitting

8:21am Monday 13th February 2012 in Readers' letters By Telegraph & Argus

SIR – I read that councillors from Bradford and Leeds do not want the borderline between the two near the A65 to become blurred and each wants to do their own thing.

This mindset is not appropriate for the 21st century.

The problem with the Local Development Framework is it only deals with the use of land, whereas location of housing developments needs to take into account factors like economic development, workplaces, schools, and shops.

This cannot be planned at a very localised level. There may be fields where even more houses can be built, but local authorities cannot disregard the broader issues or the interests of the neighbouring authority.

Those of us who live in the A65 corridor are very concerned about overcrowded roads and overcrowded trains on the Wharfedale line. This has followed large-scale development in recent years.

Planning for economic development, spatial planning, housing, transport and skills development is now done at the Leeds City Region level, consisting of 11 authorities.

Maybe the name is unsuitable, but the responsibility for specific housing approval should transfer to this level of Government.

Locally, we all manage to live, work and play going backwards and forwards across the Bradford-Leeds boundary without border guards or passport control. Let’s keep the battles to the football and rugby fields.

Clifford Sanders, Southway, Guiseley