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Vision for the future of Garforth
In 2033 Garforth will be a great place in which to live, work and play. There will be a strong sense of community. It will be a place with a unique small-town identity. Garforth will respond positively to the economic growth and expansion of the City of Leeds and will offer opportunities to residents of all ages and backgrounds.
Our town will be surrounded by protected and accessible countryside. We will benefit from excellent public transport links which meet the needs of local people and connect us with our neighbours.
Our town centre will be vibrant and re-invigorated, encouraging people to become actively involved in a flourishing community. There will be a broad range of retail, leisure, offices, arts and culture and residential opportunities. A variety of outdoor events and pop-ups will also add to the stimulating mix.
Away from the centre, the town’s commercial and industrial areas will be thriving and offering a wide range of jobs.
There will be access to a range of well designed, sustainable homes that meet the needs of all its people at all stages of life. New developments will be in a high-quality setting with appropriate infrastructure such as parks, schools and leisure facilities designed to benefit the community as a whole.
At the centre of decision making about our town will be a concern with the health and well-being of everyone who lives and works in Garforth. This concern will go beyond mere tokenism and straplines and will aim to ensure that the potential impact on people’s physical and mental health is considered when decisions are being taken about our town.
Given the ongoing global climate emergency, all decisions on development will take into account the need to achieve net zero carbon in the UK by 2050, if not before.
Objectives
The objectives outlined below give more detail on how the vision can be realised through its policies.
- Housing and the Built Environment (HBE)
- To support the provision of an inclusive range of different types of homes and a greater range of affordable housing to meet the needs of all residents
- To support the provision of sufficient homes to enable young people and families to buy/rent their first and subsequent homes in the town, where children can play outside
- To encourage the successful integration of new homes into the town in a way that does not put excessive pressure on the existing physical infrastructure; to ensure specifically that all new developments address issues of drainage and flooding
- To help ensure all new build housing meets high standards of design and sustainability
- Business Employment and Town Centre (BETC)
- To encourage new employment opportunities for local residents whilst protecting existing jobs
- To encourage job opportunities for school leavers and young people within Garforth
- To champion a more active and attractive town centre that will encourage local people to use the facilities thereby supporting local businesses and provide a hub for the town
- To help ensure new developments/businesses do not adversely affect traffic flow within the town centre area
- To help ensure car parking supports the viability of the town centre
- Transport (T)
- To promote sustainable travel choices and improve existing cycle and pedestrian provision
- To support the management of the impact of traffic
- To help ensure new housing is connected to the town via good pedestrian, cycle and bus links
- Green Space and the Rural Environment (GSRE)
- To protect the existing designated green spaces, maintaining the character and community value of the area.
- To increase the amount of leisure areas ( green spaces ) available for residents of Garforth
- To improve the quality of the designated green spaces
- To maintain access to Public Rights of Way (PROW) and wildlife corridors
- To protect and maintain access to the surrounding countryside around Garforth,
- To protect and increase tree and hedgerow cover to enhance biodiversity within green spaces and surrounding countryside
- Community and Leisure (CL)
- To support, improve and maintain existing community facilities and services
- To support the provision of new sustainable community facilities
- Education and Health (EH)
- To support the provision of sufficient primary and secondary school places for all those of school age living within the town
- To support the provision of well designed educational facilities
- To protect and enhance opportunities for outdoor education
- To promote health and wellbeing via opportunities for healthy lifestyle choices within a sustainable environment
- To support and encourage the provision of a comprehensive range of primary healthcare facilities within Garforth with equitable access to health services for all residents.
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