Friday, March 29, 2024
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Ideas needed to help update Wortley church

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st johns church wortley
St John's Church, Wortley. Copyright Betty Longbottom and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.

People in Farnley and Wortley are being given the chance to have their say on the future of their church.

Officials at St John’s Church want to create a ‘warm and wonder-filled space’ at the heart of the community and are asking for people’s views on what kind of activities and building improvements they would like to see happen, whether they are church regulars or not.

“Our lovely church building is in need of some redesign to help make this possible,” a church spokesperson said. “Would you help us think through what we might be able to do by filling in a questionnaire?

“We’re particularly looking for responses from people who wouldn’t consider themselves part of the congregation. It’ll take five to eight minutes to fill in.”

The questionnaire can be found here.

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History: A look back at Bramley RLFC’s historic blue plaque

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By Leeds Civic Trust

This week Leeds Civic Trust revisits its 109th Blue Plaque, erected in November 2007 for Bramley RLFC – Bramley Buffaloes.

Bramley RLFC was founded in 1879 and has a history of foundational importance to the establishment of Rugby League in the UK and beyond. The Bramley Mow Inn ground was the home of Bramley Rugby League Football Club (now Bramley Buffaloes) from 1891 until its move to McLaren Field in 1965. Bramley played New Zealand All Golds here in 1907 in the Northern Union’s first ever tour game.

Bramley RLFC made the first challenge to the rule that all rugby players should be amateurs when it sought to reimburse international player, Harry Bradshaw for the time he would be missing from work for international duties. This challenge failed, but in 1895 the northern clubs broke away from Twickenham Rugby Football Union control, forming the Northern Union, over the issue of compensating players for time off work.

In 1907 in Canterbury New Zealand, postal clerk Albert Baskerville announced that a professional New Zealand rugby side would tour England to play the Northern Union clubs. New Zealand players were not paid for playing. An uproar ensued: there were calls to ban professional sport , Baskerville was banned by the New Zealand Rugby Union and the English RFU denounced the initiative. However, leading players supported Baskerville, who formed a 28 man squad. En route to England, the players stopped in Australia and formed the New South Wales Rugby Football League, joined by the most famous Australian player, H.H. (Dally) Messenger.

The New Zealand team arrived in Leeds in October 1907 and were greeted by thousands of enthusiastic fans, who were treated to a performance of the famous Maori war dance, the Haka.

The first game of the New Zealand All Golds tour was played at Bramley’s Bar Mow Ground on 9 October 1907, the visitors winning 25-6 in front a crowd of over 6000. The dressing rooms were part of the pub, opening directly onto the pitch (now modern housing.) ]

This tour helped establish Rugby League as we now know it in New Zealand and Australia and pioneered the tradition of rugby League tours. The Australian Rugby League Kangaroos toured England the following year.

The plaque can be found on the front of the Barley Mow Pub, Town Street, Bramley, LS13 3EW. The plaque was unveiled by sports historian Tony Collins.

Do you have any memories of going to the rugby at the old Barley Mow Inn ground used until 1965? Did you know how important Bramley RLFC was to the formation of Rugby League? Feel free to comment below.

If you enjoy learning about our Blue Plaques, why not take a look at our online shop where you can find, among other publications, Blue Plaques of Leeds Volume One and Two: https://zurl.co/kv05.

Latest West Leeds Dispatch print edition hits the streets – here’s where you can pick it up from

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You can find papers in Lenin's Cafe, Armley. Photo: Fran Graham

Our latest 16-page printed newspaper has hit the streets of West Leeds this week.

Featuring all the latest news and views from your community, the paper has been written largely by our team of volunteer community reporters.

It features the latest on the future of Pudsey Civic Hall, new giant sheep in Farsley, the fantastic work of volunteers on Armley and an opportunity to meet the people who make parkrun happen in Bramley every Saturday – and lots more.

Having a good read in Castleton Mills, Armley

You can pick up your copy here:

Armley

  • Armley Helping Hands/Strawberry Lane Community Centre
  • New Wortley Community Centre
  • Armley Community Hub
  • Bundles/Yum/Armley Action Team, Gelder Road
  • Armley Community Hub
  • Leon’s Cafe, Town Street
  • Castleton Mills co-working space

Bramley

  • Bramley Baths
  • The Villagers
  • Bramley Community Centre
  • Bramley Lawn Social Centre
  • Bramley parkrun
  • Bramley Community Hub
  • Full Circle undertakers, Midgeley’s Fisheries, Trinity Methodists, PDSA shop, Old Unicorn

Burley

  • Seagulls Paint
  • Cardigan Arms*

Calverley

  • Calverley Post Office*
  • Calverley Library*

Farnley

  • Farnley Community Centre

Farsley

  • Truman Books
  • Farsley Community Hub
  • Sunny Bank Mills
  • Farsley Celtic Football Club

Kirkstall

  • Kirkstall Leisure Centre*
  • Bridge Inn *
  • New George*
  • Kirkstall Fisheries*
  • Mogs Cafe*
  • Abbey Barbers*
  • Kirkstall Leisure Centre*
  • Kirkstall Health Centre*
  • Kirkstall Brewery Tap*
  • TCV Hollybush
  • KVDT, St Stephen’s Church Hall
  • Butler’s, Kirkstall Forge

Pudsey

  • Pudsey Community Hub/Library*
  • Pudsey Wellbeing Centre*
  • Pudsey House*
  • Pudsey Leisure Centre*
  • Pudsey Community Project, Fartown*
  • Swinnow Community Centre

Rodley

  • The Owl*
  • Crown and Anchor

Wortley

  • Lower Wortley Community Centre
  • New Wortley Community Centre.

An asterisk * denotes papers still to be dropped off by our team of volunteers.

Advertising billboards under the spotlight in West Leeds

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new wortley billboard
Image: Morgan Wyman

The most deprived areas of Leeds are home to 18 times more outdoor advertising than the city’s least deprived areas, according to new national research.

The research, from campaign group Adfree Cities, finds that of 1,597 roadside outdoor advertisements in Leeds, 550 (34%) are in the most deprived decile compared to just 30 (2%) in the three least deprived decile. 

Adverts, including bus shelter ads, large digital billboards and pavement ad units, are also concentrated in areas of Leeds with lower income and higher air pollution. At a national scale, 82% of adverts are in the poorest half of England and Wales.

Four of the six council wards in WLD‘s patch are featured in the top 15 for advertising. These include Armley in fifth, Farnley & Wortley in sixth, Kirkstall in ninth and Bramley & Stanningley in 11th. Of the other wards, Pudsey and Calverley & Farsley sit in 16th and 17th place respectively out of 33 wards in Leeds.

Little London and Woodhouse is top of the survey.

Adfree Cities say this mirrors existing patterns of social injustice and risks impacting communities through exposure to harmful advertising content, as well as the under-recognised impacts of brightly lit digital screens on health and wellbeing. They say there are significantly more adverts in more deprived areas, more billboards in locations with more air pollution, and more marketing in the areas where people have the least disposable income.

A spokesperson for grassroots group Adblock Leeds, who object to new and existing advertising infrastructure in Leeds, said they hoped this research would “put the brakes” on the proliferation of advertising in the city. 

Loup Suja, from Adblock Leeds, said: “We keep being contacted by residents who wake up one day to a massive digital screen in front of their window. This new research shows the magnitude of the problem and reveals how more deprived areas of Leeds are disproportionately targeted by ad companies. We hope it will help put the brakes on the spread of billboards in Leeds and stop selling our city to whatever big company in London.” 

Proposals for new outdoor advertisements, especially new digital billboards, can be hotly contested. Last year a ‘dominant’ digital billboard in Stanningley was also refused permission by council planners, along with a ‘stark and incongruous’ billboard, also in Stanningley, and a ‘distracting’ advertising board in Thornbury.

Industry data shows that digital billboards are energy intensive. Larger ad screens use the same electricity as 11 average UK households, while smaller screens such as those at bus shelters use the same electricity as three homes.

Leeds North West MP Alex Sobel launched a petition to switch off a new digital billboard in Otley at night, after hearing from residents struggling to sleep. He wrote: “I would not want to live with that kind of intrusion, and I don’t want that for you either” and commented on the need for long-term change to “an out-of-date planning law that was never intended to deal with this kind of thing”. 

Peter Brooks, who led the Adfree Cities research, said: “Advertising billboards dominate public space, broadcasting unhealthy adverts and shining light pollution into homes. It’s clear from our research that while wealthier neighbourhoods are comparatively free from the intrusion of billboards, poorer communities are more likely to be surrounded by adverts that are detrimental to health and wellbeing.”

Adfree Cities are calling for national reform to outdoor advertising rules for England, which date from 2007, to empower councils to take into account a wide range of impacts on local communities and to make advertising placement fairer. 

Nicola Round, co-director at Adfree Cities, said: “The out-of-home advertising industry routinely ignores the views of local residents who overwhelmingly oppose new advertising billboards, when consulted. And, while many local authorities recognise that the proliferation of outdoor advertising is undermining community pride, public health, wellbeing and climate targets – outdated planning regulations do not allow them to make decisions in line with these urgent priorities. 

“We need to address the damaging, and unequal, impact of outdoor advertising across our cities, and to make space for a vision for public space where our health and environment matter more than corporate profit.” 

The group also supports the introduction of local and national policies that restrict the most harmful advertising content, including for unhealthy food, gambling, alcohol and environmentally-damaging products and services. 

Amongst the biggest spenders on outdoor advertising between 2022 and 2023 in the UK were McDonald’s, KFC, Coca Cola and Pepsico, who together spent over £170,000,000.

You can read the full report at: adfreecities.org.uk/unavoidable-impact.

Green light for flats at Bramley office building

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Bradshaw House, on Waterloo Lane in Bramley. Picture from Google Maps (2022).

Council chiefs have approved plans to change the use of an existing office building in Bramley into 18 flats.

Bradshaw House, on Waterloo Lane, has been vacant for some time, with efforts to find new tenants having failed.

Applicants Bridge-It Enterprises, who bought the property last year, want to turn the empty office space into 18 apartments.

Similar proposals were refused by council planners last year following concerns over the size of the apartments.

The latest plans can be viewed here.

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Pudsey Civic Hall: Model railway enthusiasts exhibit at Narrow Gauge North 2024

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Organiser Oliver Kirkby is following in his grandfather’s footsteps. Photo: Ivor Hughes

By Ivor Hughes

Narrow Gauge? Yes indeed. Standard gauge, 4ft 8½”, is the everyday rail gap inherited from the Victorians. Narrow gauge is anything smaller, often associated with colliery or mountain railways.  2ft is a common size and was the gauge represented by most exhibitors at Pudsey Civic Hall on Saturday.

The event was started in 1994 by Ron Redman, an enthusiast and fundraiser at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice in Headingley. Wheatfields remains the beneficiary, with 19-year-old grandson Oliver Kirkby at the helm since last year.

Around 20 traders and societies exhibited on the day, filling the main hall and with a small overspill into the foyer and bar areas – small scale models of narrow gauge railways can be surprisingly large when the layout includes surrounding architecture or countryside.

Here’s a selection of Ivor’s photos from the day:

Andy Ross from Bramley worked at Hunslet Locomotive Works. This is his working model of one of the locomotives they made for railways in Sierra Leone. The interior includes tiny components such as those included in the card shown. Some idea of scale – the model is 6” long.
Friends of Pudsey Roller were there publicising their restoration project. 
Bob Arthur from Manchester showed his model of a railway line in Maine, New England.
Attention to detail.  The beam engine included in a display from Leyland Model Railway Club. See the weeds, bottom left.
  Some of the specialist books offered by Chevin Books of Otley.
Michael Tarbatt of Wheatfields Hospice – Wheatfields again the beneficiary of the event.
Come on in. Displayed outside the event was this life size replica of an 1880 narrow gauge inspection carriage designed for an early attempt at a Channel Tunnel.

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West Leeds planning applications: 10 March 2024

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Each week we publish a list of the latest planning applications related to the six council wards in West Leeds.

The following new applications were published on the Leeds City Council website in the past seven days:

Armley Ward

Bramley & Stanningley Ward

Calverley & Farsley Ward

Farnley & Wortley Ward

Kirkstall Ward

Pudsey Ward


Decided applications

Here are the planning applications decided by Leeds City Council this week:

Armley Ward

Bramley & Stanningley Ward

Calverley & Farsley Ward

Farnley & Wortley Ward

Kirkstall Ward

Pudsey Ward

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Farsley Celtic slip to Alfreton defeat as indifferent run continues

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The Citadel is the home of National League North club Farsley Celtic. Photo: Farsley Celtic

By John Baron

Farsley Celtic lost out to a physical Alfreton side in a five-goal thriller which saw skipper Chris Atkinson play a club record 311th game and get on the scoresheet.

The Celts were made to pay for a slow start to the game, and although they matched the visitors in the second half, they still fell short come the final whistle.

Goals from Day and Waldock appeared to put the visitors on course for a comfortable win, but a penalty converted by Ben Atkinson with The Celts’ first effort on goal in first half stoppage time brought the home side back into it.

Since beating Gloucester at home on December 23, The Celts have won just three games, drawing seven and losing four. Scoring has been an issue all season and in that time they’ve hit just 12 goals. They’ll need to start picking up points soon if they are to avoid being sucked into a relegation dogfight for the third season running.

It was Alfreton who started the stronger of the two teams. A great save by Farsley keeper Leban with his right foot stopped the visitors taking the lead after just 24 seconds, but the incident set the tone of a first half dominated by the visitors.

Alfreton’s dominance – which had also seen them hit the post – was rewarded in the 23rd minute. Liam Waldock charged down a Farsley clearance before he unselfishly put it on a plate for Jake Day to give the visitors the lead with his 11th of the season.

It got worse for The Celts just six minutes later when Alfreton scored a second. Liam Waldock’s sweetly struck strike into the top corner followed a scramble in the area after good work from Digie and Day.

The Celts really hadn’t got going and were finding Alfreton’s press difficult to deal with.

Farsley earned an unlikely lifeline in first half stoppage time when the referee awarded a penalty for handball.

After a lengthy delay due to an injury to an Alfreton defender, top scorer Ben Atkinson confidently sent the keeper the wrong way to get the Celts back in it with their first real attempt on goal. It was also Farsley’s first goal against the Reds since 2020 and it led to the booking of Alfreton boss Billy Heath for protesting the penalty call.

The second half was much more evenly matched as The Celts finally got a foothold in the game, but chances were still hard to come by.

On 55 minutes the visitors restored their two-goal advantage when Adam Lund reacted quickest to score after his initial shot was superbly saved by Leban.

But The Celts again clawed their way back into the game in the 61st minute. An initial shot was blocked following a corner, and Chris Atkinson’s effort found the roof of the net despite the keeper’s efforts to keep it out. Game on again.

Soon after, Clayton Donaldson had a half chance which was blocked.

Alfreton continued to create chances as The Celts looked for an equaliser – and Leban made a superb double save three minutes from time to deny the visitors a fourth goal.

Deep into added time The Celts went close when a wicked corner by George Smith was headed narrowly wide by Tom Allan, with Farsley’s forwards unable to reach it and turn it home.

The result retains the Celts’ six-point lead over the relegation spots, and they face a crunch home game against Warrington at The Citadel on Tuesday night.

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Couple thank customers as Calverley Post Office closes

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Customers visiting Calverley Post Office on Saturday were treated to tasty street food by Waheeda and Asaf Hussein as a thank you for their support over the past 18 years.

As previously reported, in January the couple announced they were leaving the Post Office and confirmed they had been affected by the flawed Horizon computer system and were among the original 555 claimants through the Justice for Sub Postmasters Alliance. What followed was an outpouring of support and respect for them from the whole village and beyond.

Waheeda and Asaf have made the Carr Road store a popular feature of village life, going above and beyond their shopkeeping duties to look after the community, particularly older people, during lock-down.

For the past few years they have offered a pop-up bakery and Asian street food as a way of supplementing income. They became regular Friday night and Saturday morning offerings, with customers coming from all over West Yorkshire. So they didn’t want to leave without one last food treat, cooked up by Waheeda, with all money raised going to two local charities, so far that stands at £1,400.

The family are staying in Calverley for the time being, chilling out and enjoying  village life, though knowing Waheeda, she’ll soon be back to being busy – she’s even offered to help me out on my allotment! Though before any of that, with the start of Ramadan next week, she’ll be able to spend more time that she has been able to before in prayer and contemplation, something she is looking forward to.

The Post Office part of the store will formally close on Monday (11 March), leaving the village without a service. The Post Office is currently seeking expressions of interest in taking over the business, with a closing date of August, or earlier.  The general store will stay open, with the new owners expected soon.

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Kirkstall Brewery student residences could house care leavers and homeless families

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The Kirkstall Brewery Hall of Residences

By John Baron

Empty student halls of residences in Kirkstall could be transformed into accommodation for care leavers and homeless families, if a new scheme by cash-strapped Leeds City Council becomes reality.

A Leeds City Council report published this week says the scheme would transform three empty halls at the former Kirkstall Brewery site off Broad Lane into temporary accommodation to house young adult care leavers aged 18 and above and homeless families. The proposals centre around The Maltings, Canal House and Abbey House halls.

On young care leavers, the report states: “The Children and Families Directorate continues to experience significant demand pressures and increasing level of complexity of individuals requiring support.

“The Directorate faces significant financial challenges given the very high cost of residential accommodation, particularly that provided by the private sector, it is therefore critically important that the correct accommodation is matched to individual need thereby reducing direct costs of support.”

Regarding homeless families, the report adds: “The service is increasingly struggling to fulfil its statutory duty to place families into temporary accommodation as numbers rise. The use of bed and breakfast and expensive night by night accommodation models are putting a significant pressure on the financial challenge due to the increase in housing benefit subsidy loss.”

As part of the first phase of the scheme, the council proposes entering into a lease arrangement to offer 66 beds to house care leavers, aged 18 plus who are currently in education or training.

A planning application will then be submitted jointly by the council and developer/owner of the accommodation to allow for a change of use of the buildings from student accommodation.

The second phase includes improvements more suited to daily life than currently available in bed and breakfast accommodation. This includes the provision of kitchen and dining facilities, and on-site support. The report adds: “The proposal would, if approved, deliver significant financial savings to the Directorate as the accommodation would be less costly than current arrangements and would therefore entail a reduced level of Housing Benefit subsidy.”

An additional lease for a further number of units (comprising of 176 beds) would follow the successful outcome of the planning application.

The report adds: “Housing would centre on family use, the vast majority of families would be provided with self-contained accommodation, this would provide bedrooms, kitchen facilities and daytime space.”

The net savings are expected to be £1.5m in 24/25 and £2.2m in 25/26.

The report can be found here.

The brewery complex was originally closed in 1983, bringing to an end a 150-year tradition of brewing in the buildings. The site stood empty and unused until it the late 1990s when it became Kirkstall Brewery Student Village, part of Leeds Metropolitan University (Leeds Beckett University, as it’s now known). The conversion was carried out by Bowman Riley Architects.

The complex had been put up for sale in 2021. It features 828 student beds across 16 buildings, but its occupancy has steadily decreased as more students make use of city centre accommodation.

Farsley Celtic v Alfreton: ‘Back to back home games are a good chance to get points on the board’

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Clayton Donaldson in action for Farsley Celtic. Photo: John McEvoy

By John Baron

Farsley Celtic gaffer Clayton Donaldson is looking at the next two home games as an opportunity to start climbing the table.

The Celts entertain play-off hopefuls Alfreton Town at the Citadel tomorrow, followed by a home game against Warrington on Tuesday – and the squad will be boosted by the return of Harry Sheridan from a month-long loan deal at Liversedge following a serious injury which has kept him out since September.

And forward Darren Stephenson could also return to the matchday squad for the first time since sustaining an injury in November.

“It’s good to have players returning to the squad as we enter the run in. Darren has been in full training for three or four weeks now and he’s in contention to return to the squad. Obviously he lacks match fitness so we need to be careful how we use him but it’s good ti have him back.

“Harry Sheridan’s loan spell has finished and he’s in contention too. We need everybody fighting fit for the final ten games or so.”

The Celts come into the game in 16th place, some six points from the drop zone and 11 off the playoffs with ten games remaining.

“We are still in a good position compared to the teams below us and we’re still positive,” the gaffer said. “We treat every game as being important and we try to get three points in every game. We just have to keep giving 100% and results will come.

“Tomorrow will be a physical game, with lots of long balls and long throws. I think they’ve won the most aerial duels in the league, which tells you something about their approach. They’re similar to us in some respects, we’re both physical teams, so we will need to win our duels and be competitive.

“You always want your home ground to be a fortress and I view the next two games as a good opportunity to get some points on the board.”

Brothers in arms: Chris and Ben celebrate the first goal against Scarborough. Photo: John McEvoy

Clayton also paid tribute to club captain Chris Atkinson, who tomorrow will make his 311th appearance for The Celts – a record since the club reformed in 2010.

“Chris is very important to this team and has been in great form at the back for us this season. 311 appearances is a great achievement by any player. Let’s hope tomorrow is a good day all round and we all celebrate together with three points.”

The gaffer. Photo: John McEvoy

Team news

The Celts could be boosted by the return of Harry Sheridan and Darren Stephenson to the first team squad. Isaac Assenso has trained this week following a hamstring injury, but is unlikely to feature tomorrow.

Ticket news & supporters’ information

All the important supporter information for the clash – including admission prices and parking – can be found here.

Hough Top: Councillors call for improvements to 82-home council housing plans

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An artist's impression of the Hough Top development

By John Baron

Designers need to think again over a major new social housing development on the site of the former Hough Side School in Swinnow, councillors have said.

Members of the south and west plans panel offered guidance on key planning issues associated with the development of 82 new local authority homes planned at Hough Top and asked council designers to come back with revised plans after raising a number of concerns.

They raised issues over the use of materials, the design and density of the flats and the need for more consultation with local residents, alongside concerns over the access to the proposed site.

Swinnow resident Ian Feber told the Leeds Civic Hall meeting: “You might be surprised that local residents actually support building affordable housing on this site, but we object to nodding through a substandard design and layout which totally ignores all input from the community which, by the way, has been very poorly consulted.”

An artist’s impression of the houses at Hough Top development.

He said the owners of the 29 stone-built houses facing the proposed development were unhappy about the ‘clashing’ and ‘featureless and austere’ red-brick design of the proposed flats.

There was also concern that the council wanted to close the main Harley Drive access to the site which had been used for 60 years in order to ‘cram in’ extra houses. There were 43 objections to the scheme, with residents calling for the Harley Drive entrance to be kept open.

Mr Feber added: “Please send this back for an improved design now, so existing and future residents can be left with homes we can be proud of. Build the best development you can.”

Councillor Simon Seary (Cons, Pudsey) accompanied Mr Feber. He argued access should be from both Hough Top and Harley Drive and pointed to a lack of consultation with residents and Pudsey councillors. “The housing growth team have just not listened,” he added.

He also raised concerns over vehicle access and the impact on the junction of Swinnow Lane and the primary school and the single section of road onto Intake Lane.

Hough Top School
The former Hough Side High School building, taken in 2015, before demolition. Photo: Google

Mark Denton, head of LCC’s housing growth programme, argued the development would provide well designed and high quality 100% affordable rented properties which were energy efficient and would lower tenants’ fuel bills.

He said the proposed access points are the only way to reach a fully adoptable road networking said he had listed to comments and have made changes to the scheme as a result. he said there were over 900 households waiting for a council home in Pudsey, and only 113 re-lets available in the last year. “Demand for these 82 homes will be high,” he added.

Highways officers felt that access from Harley Drive to High Top Court would create a rat run, that Harley Drive was too narrow to allow passing traffic and that another crossroads in the area which could be unsafe.

Senior council planning officers also expressed concerns over the design.

Councillor Paul Wray (Lab, Hunslet & Riverside) said there should be ‘some form of transition’ between stone and red brick at the edge of the development. He criticised the flats’ design as being ‘very bricky and blocky’ and that the density needed to be more sympathetic. But he added that the housing ‘is reasonable in design’.

Cllr Andrew Carter (Cons, Calverley & Farnley) said: “A resident said to me the council seems to have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. The majority of local people say they want social housing on the site or maybe a mix.

“But these flats are awful, it’s as simple as that, they won’t stand the test of time in terms of appearance. The mass needs somehow to be broken up, perhaps hipped roofs instead of gable ends, and you should certainly look at the materials.

“We are talking about people’s homes. I’ve seen better in terms of appearance. In terms of highways we do need to look at Harley Drive – for years it was the main entrance to Hough Side School. Can you look outside the box at it?”

Cllr Colin Campbell (Lib Dem, Otley & Yeadon) said: “I think that if this were a private developer we would be saying that this was an inappropriate development as it stands. Residents seem happy with the principle of development and that we are getting some affordable housing.

“The quality of design is not what we expect as a city council and it must be improved. The highway layout does the job, I don’t think it’s particularly inspiring. We could create a much better more pedestrian and cycle friendly scheme and still retain these houses.”

Meeting chair Cllr Hannah Bithell (Lab, Kirkstall) asked for more work around accenting and using more stone in the development.

The developer will take the points away and revise the proposals, alongside offering more public consultation. The plans will be brought back to panel at a future date where councillors will make a final decision on the proposals.

The council wants to build a 100% affordable residential development across the site including both houses and apartments. The site would contain 55 houses and 27 apartments, meaning there will be 82 new residential properties proposed.

The two storey houses will be a mixture of two, three and four bedrooms. Each house will have its own parking spaces and private garden space. The proposed three-storey apartment block will contain a mixture of one and two-bedroom units.

The full agenda and reports from today’s meeting can be found here. A recording of the meeting can be found on the council’s YouTube channel.

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