Leeds councillors criticise new Wakefield Wildcats stadium plan

Fresh proposals to build a 12,000 stadium for rugby league side Wakefield Wildcats and a 200-acre business park will adversely effect the green belt around Leeds, councillors have claimed. Rothwell ward councillors Steve Smith , Stewart Golton and Don Wilson have reiterated their opposition to the "ill thought out and entirely unsuitable" proposal for New Market Lane at Stanley, near the Leeds-Wakefield border. Smith said that plans have now been submitted several times, and claim developers York Courts Ltd have been unsuccessful in addressing local concerns. The Wildcats need a new stadium to preserve their Super League status. Smith said the proposals - which include multi-use games area, warehousing, a hotel, business units and a restaurant - would see green belt land lost, sparking fears that it could set an unwelcome precedent for other developers. Smith does not believe that local infrastructure could cope with a development of this size. He argued that existing roads could not cope with the increase in traffic, and that drainage systems would be overwhelmed, increasing the risk of flooding. He has also backed residents' claims that there is not enough on-site parking for the 12,000-seater stadium. Liberal Democrat Smith said: "This is an ill thought out scheme that is entirely unsuitable for the local area. Once again these plans fail to address our concerns about the impact of the proposed development on the local infrastructure. "It would be highly irresponsible for local councillors to back a scheme that would see a development of this size eating into our greenbelt land. There are plenty of speculators trying to build on greenbelt in Rothwell – to give this scheme the go-ahead would simply encourage others to try harder to do the same. "We will not be forced into accepting what would be a very raw deal indeed for Rothwell." Leeds planners spoke out against the proposals back in May. Wakefield Wildcats chief executive James Elston said: "May I stress that we are applying to be anchor tenants of the new stadium at New Market, which will be owned by Wakefield and District Community Trust. As a club we can confirm that the issues raised [by the Rothwell councillors] have all been resolved, and we remain very confident that the application will be successful." Full details of the latest plans can be found on the Wakefield Council website . Comments on the plans must be received by the 5 October and can be sent to [email protected] . What do you think about the plans? Have your say in the comments section below. Clarification: The second paragraph of this article was amended to clarify that the stadium will be built in Stanley.