Following the publication of the application to construct a Battery Energy Storage System – BESS – on Westfield Road, the CVNF Steering Group feel we should give you a timeline of the events as we understand them.
Firstly, the CVNF firmly rejects the assertion from the applicant that there were emails received on 30th August and 6th September 2022 in regard to the proposed development.
In fact , the CVNF Chair was not approached by the Planning Dept until the 21st September 2022 asking for the contact details “for an applicant who proposes a new development off Westfield Road, Carlton. The applicant wishes to engage with a local forum on the proposal.”
The Planning Dept representative stated that they [Planning] wanted the applicant to engage with the Forum before a formal application was made, reiterating that they were limited in what they could divulge about it as it was at pre app stage only.
The contact details were duly provided and to this day, no contact has been made.
What we now know:
A pre application discussion took place with the Planning Dept around August / September 2022 and ward councillors were advised of it.
A pre-application discussion is one that a developer has with the Council to consider whether they want to submit an application, usually to gauge what they might need to change to be more likely to get permission.
Those discussions are confidential because an application has not been submitted. Therefore councillors are not allowed to comment publicly on applications which have not yet been submitted. The applicant did NOT include the Neighbourhood Forum in the pre app discussion.
By December when no further information or approach was made by the applicant, the CVNF contacted Cllr Golton who advised he was unaware of any application having been submitted.
The first time we heard any detailed information was, like everyone else, when the Planning dept posted the notices and concerned residents contacted us. Since then we have contacted the Planning Dept and our Councillors urging them to insist the applicant withdraws the statement related to the two emails and also to request that the Council considers an extension to the timeframe of 7th March for responding to the proposal as there is such a lot of information to digest and to give the Community time to lodge responses. We have also requested via Planning, the opportunity to hold a Community meeting with the applicant and we are awaiting a response.
The CVNF objects to the proposed development and will be logging this on the Planning Portal.
If you wish to comment there is a time limit and you can do so via the Portal quoting Reference : 23/00450/FU
Or email : planning@leeds.gov.uk
or in writing to :
Planning Services
Leeds City Council
Merrion House
110 Merrion Centre
LEEDS LS2 8BB
Reference : 23/00450/FU
Include your full name and address in your letter
View and comment on planning applications
cvnf.org.uk 