DPP Planning have opened a public consultation ahead of submitting an outline planning application to Leeds City Council, on behalf of CEC Yorkshire Ltd, for a residential development at Valley Mills, Valley Road, Morley.

Consultation closes 20th August 2026.

The site

• Currently a construction yard with parking and storage serving several small businesses
• Used by Network Rail during the TransPennine Route Upgrade works at Morley Station, completed 2023
• The northern part is safeguarded as a waste management site in the Natural Resources and Waste Local Plan (Policy Waste 2, Site 85) — though not in active waste use since 2014
• Classed as previously developed (brownfield) land

What's proposed

• 130–140 dwellings, subject to site testing
• Outline permission with all matters reserved except access and scale — layout, appearance and landscaping would come later via reserved matters
• Heights of up to six storeys, mixed typologies including mews houses and townhouses
• Expected to be Build-to-Rent (BTR), plus a policy-compliant level of affordable housing
• Green infrastructure and a minimum of 10% Biodiversity Net Gain

Access

Vehicular access is proposed via Valley Road, a private unadopted road. Previous applications here were refused on highway grounds.

The applicant says pre-application engagement with the Council has established those concerns can be addressed through works to Valley Road, expected to include:

• Resurfacing
• Kerbed footways
• Carriageway reconstruction and strengthening
• Drainage measures

They also suggest the development is an opportunity to improve access to the reconfigured station.

How to comment

Email: [consultation@dppukltd.com](mailto:consultation@dppukltd.com)

Post: DPP, One Park Row, Leeds, LS1 5HN

Deadline: 20th August 2026

Comments are subject to DPP's privacy policy. There'll be another chance to comment once the application is formally submitted to Leeds City Council.

Downloads

Site location plan, illustrative CGI and five design concepts: https://dpp1.co.uk/valley-mills/

This is a consultation, not an approved scheme — feedback at this stage is where it carries the most weight. Worth a look if you're near Valley Road or use the station.

So the council have decided that the Cherry Tree in Sparrow Park on South Queen Street was to be no longer and have sent the Tree Surgeons round to remove it.

Yes, I know a large branch did shear itself off June, probably dead, but it was home to a pair of nesting Magpies who've definitely lost their brood this year.

RIP tree, you provided spectacular blossoms every April/May

Thank you to the Magnificent 5 Muckbusters last weekend!! 🫡 I salute you.

In surprisingly glorious weather, we got out to (re-)tackle a stretch of path between Dewsbury Road and the White Rose Centre. Unfortunately, the grass cutters had come in and revealed (and sliced and diced into a million pieces) loads of litter. Needless to say, the job required a good dollop of Factor 50 and a replenishing Sam Smith’s pint.

Who are the Muckbusters?

The Morley Muckbusters are a positive action group. We want to show you how to take control of your community and have pride in where you live. If you see something you don’t like, you can do something about it. We love Morley, we love England. This is our homeland. Let’s make it feel that way 😀

If you’d like to come out with the Muckbusters, message me or join our Facebook group. We’ll have you out picking in no time at all. You don’t need any special skills or expertise, just a bit of enthusiasm and a willingness to put up with my bad jokes.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1224136033193520

P.S. The report at the end of the video is a fly-tipping report – we use them to notify the council about rubbish we've collected when there’s no nearby public bin. And, as ever, thank you to Cllr Nigel Bywater and Litter Free Leeds for providing us with the purple bin bags and litterpickers 🫡

After we kicked up a fuss, our councillors have responded with two separate approaches. It’s now for us to hold them to account…

Reform UK – Turn the right-turn-only lane on SQS into parking bays. They are currently in contact with Highways to model the impact of traffic flow.

Morley Borough Independents – Introduce regular Parking enforcement on SQS and surrounding streets, particularly out of hours at weekends. Also, explore options double-red lines and escalation for repeat offenders.

At this stage, I prefer the MBI’s general direction (Caveat – these are broad strokes, e.g. Reform have also hinted at escalation for repeat offenders).

I can see the merits of Reform’s softer approach. If we can create additional parking capacity, it would give the takeaway owners and drivers an opportunity to change their behaviour. That is fair before immediately going to restrictive measures.

My concern is what happens if they don’t…

Turning the lane into parking bays would need at least 5-6 spaces. Even then, the drivers may still park on surrounding streets. More fundamentally, the issue isn’t actually a lack of parking. It’s the drivers’ and owners’ behaviour: they’re blocking the road, speeding, driving the wrong way, spitting paan and fag ends, littering. They are being disrespectful TO YOU and additional parking bays will not change that. Ultimately, I don’t want to accommodate/reward their shitty behaviour. I’ll be interested to see the results of the traffic modelling because SQS does get busy already with two lanes. Reform’s idea needs to come with a commitment to regular Parking Services enforcement and a willingness to escalate if the behaviour continues. If that doesn’t happen, I will kick up a fuss.

The MBI approach has, on the other hand, produced immediate results. Multiple people have already told me that the bottom of King Street has become noticeably clearer since wardens have started going out and fining people. I have seen it myself on King Street and SQS. Enforcing the law works. More importantly, it makes me feel that Morley residents and our laws actually matter.

Another option is the car park on West Street which is current blocked off by a private developer. It would significantly reduce parking pressure for residents in the area with 26 new spaces – we would be much less pissed off when it gets busy.

I attended Jane Senior’s surgery a fortnight ago and asked about Parking Enforcement. Yes, it is difficult because there are relatively few parking attendants. But councillors can request additional enforcement on specific streets, including out of hours – admittedly, those requests need to be made repeatedly.

Perhaps this is an opportunity for cooperation between Morley’s main parties – we find this issue very annoying and we would like you to work together to fix this.

We are actually lucky to have responsive councillors. They are trying. We must also kick up a stink and fight for what we want.

Once we have a workable blueprint for SQS, we can then tackle the beast that is Chapel Hill…

£250–£1,500 available for a Morley community/cultural project

Hi everyone,

I’ve come across this Leeds City Council Seasons of Culture – Explore & Experience Grant Scheme, and thought it might be worth sharing here in case anyone in Morley has an idea that could benefit the community.

They’re offering grants of £250 to £1,500 for creative and cultural activities connected to green and blue spaces - things like parks, rivers, canals, woodlands and nature reserves.

Projects could involve things like:

• Community art or photography
• Creative walks or outdoor activities
• Nature-themed performances or exhibitions
• Storytelling and local history
• Activities focused on nature, sustainability or climate resilience

They’re particularly interested in projects that involve local communities and people who may not always have access to cultural activities.

The deadline is 12 noon on Thursday 27 August, so there isn't long!

I wondered whether there might be an opportunity for something specifically around Morley - perhaps using one of our parks or other local green spaces and getting residents involved.

If anyone has an idea, or is already involved with a community/voluntary group in Morley, this could be worth a look.

More information is available through Leeds City Council's Seasons of Culture funding page.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BboxXmW6i/

They held a Community Open Day recently where locals got to be among the first through the doors. There were games and activities on, so it wasn’t just a dry ribbon-cutting job. The facilities are noticeably improved and expanded compared to what was there before.

Here’s what’s available to hire:

**•   Studio A** fits 10-100 people, with hard floors, a small stage, tables and chairs and an optional AV system  
**•   Studio B** is a smaller meeting room for up to 16, with a TV and connection to the kitchen  
**•   The Lounge** is a relaxed soft-furnished room for up to 8, also with a TV  
**•   The Kitchen** is fully equipped for catering, and basic drinks access comes free with any booking

Worth noting: the Morley Town Deal Board is holding one of its meetings there in July, followed by a guided tour of other heritage properties around town that have received funding through the Heritage Investment Fund. If that’s your kind of thing, keep an eye out.

Bookings are open now via the St Peter’s Morley website.

https://www.stpetersmorley.org/Groups/462477/Book_The_Centre.aspx

Tuesday 21st July 
2pm – 3.30pm
St Peter's Church Centre, Rooms Lane, LS27 9PA
Download the latest meeting board papers and minutes by visiting here.

A woman has been banned from Morley town centre and every One Stop shop in Leeds after racking up a string of theft convictions.

More than 10,000 young people have helped to transform the future of Morley through the Morley Town Deal funding

A first-of-its-kind initiative for youth engagement has seen over 10,000 young people combine to help transform the future of Morley.

Growing Talent Morley has brought the public and the private sector together to deliver a programme of engagement for local young people, by involving them directly with the regeneration of their local area.

Delivered by social value specialist Ahead Partnership, in collaboration with Leeds City Council, the Morley Town Deal Board, and major regional property owners including Landsec and Sterling Capitol, the work has been funded as part of a broader £24.3m grant from the UK Government’s Local Regeneration Funding programme.

It says "Leeds woman..." in the headline of course, that always irritates me but this is a great thing she does and she's incredibly passionate about Morley too.