Councillors in inner West Leeds will hear of strategies to invest in the area’s transport network at a meeting next week.
The inner west community committee is made up of councillors from the Armley, Bramley & Stanningley and Kirkstall wards. Next Tuesday’s meeting will see them hear a presentation which will touch on a variety of initiatives – including the council’s new 20-minute neighbourhood idea.
The concept revolves around a planning policy which aims to ensure people can meet their day-to-day needs within a 20-minute round trip from home by walking, cycling or public transport.
A report to be considered by councillors next Tuesday (14 March) sets out the council’s aims to produce Local Area Transport Plans for each community committee area in Leeds.
It also features the Leeds Healthier Streets, Spaces and Communities project, which aims to strengthen neighbourhood connectivity for making shorter journeys more sustainably and healthily.
The report features the 20-minute neighbourhood concept, and highlights Armley, in particular, as a possible candidate to be shortlisted as one of ‘two or three’ pilot areas across Leeds.
“In terms of the Inner West area, existing investments on the A647 and A65 corridors provide good examples of complementary transport match funding,” the report says.
“Armley has potential as a candidate location for shortlisting, having benefitted from the thinking behind recent funding bids. Bramley and Kirkstall may be less suited as pilot schemes but both remain locations of interest as the project rolls forward.”
The report says early development and scoping of the project has already started to identify potential sites. It’s hoped pilot sites will be exemplars to build a strong case for Combined Authority funding to continue rolling out 20-minute neighbourhood transport schemes citywide.
Project lead at the council, Andrew Hall, will carry out a presentation for councillors at the meeting.
The inner west community committee is made up of eight Labour councillors and one Green councillor from the Armley, Bramley & Stanningley and Kirkstall wards. They are supported by community co-optees.
Next Tuesday’s meeting, at Burley Greenhow Community Centre, starts at 6pm. The full agenda and papers can be read here.
Is this some kind of ironic joke? Announcements of 3 different bus services running through Armley & Bramley have been affected this week? 87 is axed and X11 & 14 are to be reduced to presumably 1 per hour at peak times? What is a 20 minute target anyway? Absolute nonsense of imaginary targets for councillors to tick off the “hey plebs, we are actually doing stuff!” boxes at the town hall.
Youre5rught there
It’s not just the axed routes either, the remaining ones are totally unreliable. When the bus which theoretically runs every 30 minutes is cancelled then we’re a lot more than 20 minutes from anywhere. They haven’t thought about the geography either, Leeds is a holy city; 30 years ago I could probably have walked to the Bramley Centre in 20 minutes but nowadays I need a 10 minute rest halfway up the hill!
The first people to come up with the idea of neighbourhoods where you could live, work, and get services used 15mins; is this an admission that Labour run Leeds is already a third slower than the international norm ?
I guess the council will :
– blame the Tory cuts (justified to a significant extent, but not completely)
– say that X-route buses aren’t “neighbourhood” routes so don’t count.
– bleat about not having control of the buses (true but it didn’t stop Smiley Tracy campaigning for Mayor as though they did)
Totally agree it’s complete bollocks! People are being pay a lot of tax payers money to come up with this baloney. If the council wants cars off the road they should be providing free public transport busing people to work in the city. Cuts congestion then the buses would run on time and improve the air we breathe at the same time. Those at the top Stop wasting public money!!!
There’s no end to this madness regarding public transport…..the powers that be need to get out of their nice warm offices and travel on these buses and ask the passengers face to face exactly what they think of the ‘services’ and ask them what they would like to see happen. Let them stand at any bus stop or bus station and plan a journey….
We all need to shout..scream and contact anyone and everyone in politics who can hopefully do something. One voice isn’t heard but many many voices can carry the message…
The people of Armley need to object this ! You have to ask yourself who benefits from this ? All councilor’s who push this should not be in office. Do you think the councilor’s will live in these areas.
Hell no! If I want to go shopping by car – I will. Even if it’s just for less than a mile. I’ll probably breathe in and produce the amount of co2 as walk to the store and back as if I am using my car.