I have formally objected to the proposed ‘Amazon’ warehouse in Scholes. In my letter I said the current proposal was wrong for the area, both in terms of its scale and its character. My objections included the impact on the environment, air and noise pollution, the safety risk to children at nearby schools from the increased volume of traffic, and the fact that the local road system is already overloaded and could not cope. There is no doubt that our area needs new sustainable employment and economic regeneration, but I said that I had seen nothing to convince me that the promised number of new jobs at the site would actually materialise.
Previously, I raised in the House of Commons the need for local people’s concerns to be taken seriously and in my Maiden Speech I said “we need more jobs – but good quality jobs doing what we do best in manufacturing and services, not huge soulless warehouses full of robots”. I will continue to use whatever parliamentary means I can to make sure that happens.
My opposition to the proposals has been widely reported:
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/amazon-warehouse-plan-kim-leadbeater-backs-campaigners-battling-against-massive-warehouse-to-be-built-on-farmland-in-west-yorkshire-3308256
https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/19489713.critics-question-legality-amazon-warehouse-plans/

This will continue to be one of my main priorities in the coming weeks and months.