A kindness wall at Armley Junction cafe WILL stay after café owners reached an agreement with council officers.
More than 700 people had signed an online petition after Leeds City Council officials wrote to bosses at the pay as you feel cafe, threatening the owners with a fine up to £1,000 if their ‘kindness wall’ wasn’t removed.
They claimed the wall – which allows local residents to donate unwanted clothes, books and toys for those in need – was an ‘obstruction’ on the pavement and ‘could cause injury to pedestrians or disabled persons’.
But a deal was thrashed out yesterday between council officials and café management which will allow the wall to stay, subject to conditions.
In a council letter sent to café owner Adam Smith, conditions included:
- Regular monitoring of the wall be café staff
- Installation of signs to explain how the wall should be used
- No glass or sharp items to be left
- Installation of foam cushioning on edges of shelves
Council also officers agreed the wall posed little obstruction to the footpath.
In a video posted on Wednesday, before yesterday’s meeting, Armley Junktion’s Nigel Stone argued the wall was not an obstruction:
Armley Junktion is the world’s first ‘Pay as you feel’ café sourced entirely by intercepted food which is destined for waste. It provides the intercepted food for customers who can pay and/or contribute according to what their means will allow.
Although the idea behind the kindness wall is to be applauded I think it is an absolute eyesore..cant the organisers arrange for things to be left in a more suitable dry and clean place to be given to those in need?
when I passed it clothes were on the wall out in the rain… it looked like
a jumble sale !
I agree with the other comment. The wall is a great idea, but looks a complete mess. I thought the idea was to improve the look of Armley, not make it look like a tip.
Imagine someone driving through and seeing that. What kind of impression does it give of the area?
sadly we know what impression this gives of Armley !
there are countless charitable facilities in Armley surely one could facilitate this wall indoors and still retain the purpose of it.
I have read that some local councillors think the wall is great and that every area should have one !…..really…I don’t think for a moment that this eyesore would be allowed in more affluent areas of Leeds, but for some reason the powers that be think its alright to further damage the
look of Armley with this….I wonder if these councillours actually live in Armley ????