Controversial plans for a new dog exercise park in Calverley have been deferred by councillors for further negotiations and more information – but councillors suggested the principle of the development was broadly acceptable.
Applicant Nikki Goodall wants to use an area of land at the rear of Carr Farm Cottage, on Carr Road, as an outdoor pet recreation and exercise facility.
She wants to create a paddock area with rustic wooden post and rail fencing, in keeping with the conservation area and surrounding listed buildings. The proposed exercise area would open 8am until 8pm Monday to Saturday and 9am to 4pm on Sundays.
Councillors on the south and west plans panel today heard concerns including increased levels of noise and disturbance, while supporters say there is a need for safe and secure space to exercise dogs in Calverley.
The proposals have split opinion, with 42 letters of objection and 47 letters of support.
Following a lengthy questioning of the applicant, objectors and council planning officers, councillors said the use of the site seemed be acceptable but deferred a final decision on the application for further discussions including:
The possibility of a smaller paddock area.
Reduced or staggered opening hours.
Reduce the number of dogs on the site at any one time from eight to four.
Applicant to consider acoustic fencing.
Look again at the surfacing for parking in the paddock.
Receive comments from environmental health on a noise report produced by objectors.
Introducing conditions about no lighting on the paddock.
A report accompanying the application said staffing levels would be two full-time and one part-time member of staff.
Objectors argued the proposals would cause ‘irreversible nuisance with eight dogs in one place’ and pointed to no proposed noise management measures in a quiet residential area.
Applicant Nikki Goodall said she was an experienced in dog care and management and had an interest in dog behaviour. She said there was no chance of dogs escaping from the fenced area.
Council planning officers had recommended that the plans were approved by councillors subject to 11 conditions, including that the area is used by one family or group/trainer/walker at any one time.
A pre-booking system should also be in operation, and there should be a 15-minute interval between each booking, to allow the previous customer to vacate the site.
The former Yorkshire Bank building on Armley Town Street. Photo: Google
Consumer organisation Which? is aiming to highlight the impact of lost access to cash in communities, raise awareness about the issue and encourage the government to take action.
They’re asking readers to email local press about their concerns over their lack of access to cash following the closures of local banks. Here’s a selection of the letters we have received so far…
Dear sir –
Today I’m writing to you to tell you that I’m concerned about my ability to access cash in my local community.
I have limited mobility due to peripheral vascular disease and arthritis. I need to have an easily accessible source of cash in order to pay for taxis etc. The local Yorkshire Bank closed long ago, and my local shop ATM charges for withdrawals.
I’m being taxed for being elderly and disabled.
Robert Dickson
Dear sir –
Today I’m writing to you to tell you that I’m concerned about my ability to access cash in my local community.
It doesn’t make sense closing banks down in flourishing centres, please reverse your decisions, which are harming people. Banks should remember – it wasn’t so long ago that you nearly took this country and the world to bankruptcy.
Jeffrey Boot
Dear sir –
How many banks have places like Armley Town Street lost? There’s only Lloyds Bank left now – HSBC and the others have all gone. Not everyone is good online and I’ve no-one to help me. I struggle to get into town and I feel I’ve been left behind and punished for being old.
A raft of measures are needed to clamp down on anti-social behaviour by quad and off-road bikers, councillors have said.
Members of the Outer West Community Committee agreed to look into a project working with police and other partners to set up operations on specific days to ‘blitz’ problems with anti-social behaviour in both rural and built-up areas.
They also agreed to look into funding quad bike barriers on Woodhall Road to prevent damage to Calverley and Woodhall golf clubs, and at Calverley Woods, where it joins Ravenscliffe in Bradford.
“We’ve found some pretty intimidating individuals wearing black balaclavas threatening residents,” Councillor Amanda Carter (Cons, Calverley & Farsley) told the Outer West Community Committee meeting.
She said anti-social behaviour had increased through lockdown and feared it was ‘only a matter of time before we get another serious accident’.
Councillor David Blackburn (Green, Farnley & Wortley) pointed to problems in more built up areas in his ward and added:
“A few years ago we had a purge over a couple of weekends with police. If could get something together to do that I am sure it would help.”
He said having a ‘blitz’ with potential partner agencies ‘might bear some real fruit’ and lead to the confiscation of some of the quad bikes.
Cllr Andrew Carter (Cons, Calverley & Farsley) spoke of quad and off-road bikers ‘tearing up Farsley Town Street’. He added:
“We have got to do something about it. these people are creating massive anti-social issues. I wouldn’t recommend anyone trying to tackle them as they can be pretty unpleasant to say the least. They create dangers to pedestrians, children and themselves.”
He said patrols from parks and countryside come from a small team in East Leeds and that the bikers have ‘not only gone but are probably out of the county leaving a trail of destruction behind them’ by the time enforcement arrives.
Cllr Trish Smith
Cllr Trish Smith (Cons, Pudsey) spoke of issues in both Sykes Wood and in the Fulneck valley. She added:
“Something needs to be done very drastically and very quickly. We are all busting a gut to protect our environment and these people are essentially destroying it in front of our eyes.
“We have some really angry residents in Fulneck down in the valley where quads come in a pincer movement from Scholebrook Lane and from the Bradford area. We need help to tackle it.”
The Outer West Community Committee is made up of nine councillors – three from each ward – Calverley & Farsley, Farnley & Wortley and Pudsey. The committee consists of five Conservative councillors, three Green and one Labour.
Watch the full Outer West Committee meeting held at Leeds Civic Hall yesterday here:
A move towards natural wildflower beds instead of formal bedding has been welcomed by local councillors – but one councillor warned against them turning into a ‘sea of nettles’.
Members of the Outer West Community Committee heard that wildflower meadows were being created at roundabouts in the city in a bid to encourage biodiversity – and cut the costs of installing
The move at roundabouts would allow the council’s parks and countryside department to focus stretched resources on local parks, which will also have bedding plants reduced by 50%.
The move towards sewing wildflower seeds was welcomed on environmental grounds by councillors on the Outer West Community Committee, but there were warnings that the wildflower beds must still be maintained to prevent weeds growing over.
Cllr David Blackburn
Councillor David Blackburn (Green, Farnley & Wortley)
“I think it’s a good idea and letting things grow a bit wilder is the best way, because that encourages biodiversity, birds and bees and everything. It’s great. But it’s a problem if you don’t keep up to them.
“You’ve got to make sure it stops like that and doesn’t turn into a sea of nettles and thistles.
“I am sorry to say that I have seen this happen before where we funded things and a few years later the maintenance has been taken off. There are areas where you could let it go wild on its own, such as Western FlatTs Park in the boggy bit at the back of the Westerns.
“But overall our past record on maintaining wildflower areas has not been good.”
Cllr Andrew Carter (Cons, Calverley & Farsley) said some of the wildflower displays had been spectacular but agreed that ‘thug’ nettles in particular could be a problem.
Guy Smithson, of Leeds City Council’s parks and countryside department, said it was now part of the council’s maintenance programme to pull perennial weeds out and ‘maintain the beds to a correct level’. He said the beds would also get a 30% re-seed each year.
Cllr Ann Blackburn (Green, Farnley & Wortley) called on the rose garden at Western Flatts Park to remain a rose garden.
She also said there are initial discussions involving the council and environmental group Groundwork and the Friends of Western Flatts Park around a revamp of the park area.
Cllr Trish Smith (Cons, Pudsey) called for more fruit trees and bushes to be planted and praised the work ti improve and maintain Tyersal Park.
Cllr Peter Carlill (Lab, Calverley and Farsley) welcomed the moves towards wildflower areas but said it was important to prolong the displays into winter time.
The Outer West Community Committee is made up of nine councillors – three from each ward – Calverley & Farsley, Farnley & Wortley and Pudsey. The committee consists of five Conservative councillors, three Green and one Labour.
The Sunnybanks area of Thornbury pay council tax to Leeds, but have a BD postcode. Photo: Google
A campaign to get three streets in Thornbury a Leeds postcode WILL go before senior councillors in Leeds.
Last November the Sunnybank Recreation Group asked the Outer West Community Committee to investigate longstanding issues for residents who have a BD (Bradford) postcode but live within the Leeds City Council boundary.
Residents in Sunnybank Grove, Sunnybank Lane and Sunnybank Avenue in Thornbury currently have a BD3 postcode, despite paying council tax for Leeds services. They argue their postcode has lead to healthcare confusion and affected access to services.
WLD reported five months ago that members of the council’s powerful executive board had initially refused to discuss the issue at one of their meetings.
But councillors on this week’s Outer West Community Committee heard that the executive board had now agreed to discuss the issue – although the final decision over postcodes sits with Royal Mail.
Outer West chair councillor Amanda Carter (Calverley & Farsley) told the meeting
“It’s a really important issue for lots of people in our ward who have got a BD postcode. Simple but important issues could be sorted out easily, such as the doctor or emergency services going to the wrong addresses.”
Royal Mail, which makes the decisions over postcodes, has previously cited ‘operational difficulties’ for not changing.
Campaigners hope the council’s executive board can put pressure on there Royal Mail to make changes.
WLD reported in December 2017 how residents living in Tyersal were refused an LS28 postcode by Royal Mail– despite being part of Pudsey Ward since local government reorganisation in 1974.
The Outer West Community Committee is made up of nine councillors – three from each ward. It consists of five Conservative councillors, three Green and one Labour.
Floral displays, youth activities and Christmas lights are among projects councillors have agreed to fund at a meeting held at Leeds Civic Hall.
Members of the Outer West Community Committee – made up of councillors from the Calverley & Farsley, Pudsey and Farnley & Wortley wards – have awarded funding from their wellbeing and youth funding pots, as well as ring-fence funding for the next financial year.
Councillors deferred a decision on Building Futures Together’s £12,000 bid for their Rock Up To Do a Mock Up project.
Based in a live business setting the sessions introduce young people to the industry by taking part in various exercises including plumbing, electrical and fabrication activities. While the project received praise for its previous work, councillors from Farnley & Wortley were concerned that no sessions were taking part in the ward.
The funding decision was deferred to allow for further discussions with the applicant.
Projects approved for funding this financial year include:
Parking Buddies Signs £3,292.50
The signs encourage drivers to slow down, keep the area clear, and not idle their engines near school property.
Additional Money Buddies sessions at Swinnow Community Centre £1,239
To provide an additional five Money Buddies finance and debt sessions based at Swinnow Community Centre in Pudsey.
Projects approved for funding out of the next financial year include:
Calverley in Bloom £5,757.99
The project will provide hanging baskets to enhance the village centre. The display will be maintained and watered by Parks & Countryside.
Farsley in Bloom £3,049.60
The scheme will provide floral features to enhance the village centre including hanging baskets on lamp posts and floral troughs on the roadside. The display will be maintained and watered by Parks & Countryside
New Farnley in Bloom £1,000
To buy £1,000 of plants from the Parks and Countryside Nursery in order to continue New Farnley in Bloom’s seasonal planting.
Pudsey in Bloom – £5,151.79
The scheme will provide floral features to enhance the village centre including hanging pots, barrier troughs and long hay racks. The displays will be maintained and watered by Parks & Countryside.
Additional gardener resource – £14,114
The member of staff will be working 41 hours per week, for six months of the year, in Tyersal and New Farnley. The duties they will be undertaking will include grass cutting, pruning, de-littering, emptying of litter bins, removing fly tipping, marking out sports pitches, inspection of play equipment, maintenance of park infrastructure, planting and sweeping paths.
Pudsey Park weekend litter picking £1,183.30
Outdoor and Active in Pudsey, Calverley by TCV £4,374.36
TCV will be running environmental activity tasters in conjunction with the social prescribing sessions and support provided by Robin Lane and Hill Foot surgeries. Sessions in Calverley will be based from the Methodist Church targeted at men, encouraging them to come together, talk and reduce social isolation. Other sessions will enable Pudsey Wellbeing Centre to relaunch its gardening group.
Pudsey Youth Café at Pudsey Wellbeing Centre £2,560
he weekly sessions include a meal, group activities, and a number of workshops throughout the year. The aim is to create an active, safe space for young people.
6th Wortley Brownies £1,050
The pack will be taking 25 girls aged 7 – 13 away for a weekend of adventurous activities at Winmarleigh Hall. Money is for coach hire.
6th Wortley Guides £1,200
6th Wortley Guide Unit was 70 years old in 2020 and had originally planned the trip – to Dorset and Brownsea Island, the home of camping for scouting and guiding – as a celebration but Covid put plans on hold until 2022. Up to 24 Guides and Rangers (aged 10 to 17) will attend.
Farnley Youth Club £3,000
To continue running the successful Friday evening youth provisions which is enjoyed by more than 35 young people per week.
Farnley Football Project £1,000
The aim is to provide a positive, healthy outdoor activity open to all young people aged 11 – 17 years of age.
Mini Summer Sports programme £720
Sport sessions for young people at Hainsworth Park, Calverley Park, Swinnow Moor and Farnley Rec.
Projects ring-fenced for funding next financial year include:
Calverley Xmas Lights £2,704
Farsley Xmas Lights £7,899
Pudsey Xmas Lights £9,816
Rodley Xmas Lights £1,494
Pudsey Carnival £2,600
DAZL Outer West Programme £3,427
Andy’s Youth Project £2,400
Farsley Festival £4,350
Outer West Activity Programme – three mini Breeze events £10,948.50
The Outer West Community Committee is made up of nine councillors – three from each ward. They consist of five Conservative councillors, three Green and one Labour.
A boutique wool shop with old-fashioned values has opened in a historic former woollen mill in Farsley.
Ewe Neek owners Laila Ansbergs and Lisa Barnes wanted to create a different and luxurious shopping experience where visitors can enjoy browsing all the wool, yarns and pattern books in the inspirational setting of The Mending Rooms at Sunny Bank Mills.
“In this increasingly virtual world, we wanted to return to the traditional values of the past, with a real shop with the personal touch, where people can see and feel the products, experience the colours and textures first-hand, feel inspired to craft, take part in classes and be able to ask for advice, as well as getting what they want straight away” said Laila.
The best friends have been running Leeds-based UK crafting company Lili of the Valley for the last 18 years, which is now online only.
But with the resurgence of knitting, crochet and soft crafts during lockdown, it was the ideal opportunity to return to having a shop in Farsley. Lisa said:
“It’s a perfect location as Sunny bank Mills is a former 19th century woollen mill which is fast becoming a creative hub, so it felt serendipitous to open Ewe Neek here.
“We’re hoping to buck the trend of many recent shop closures and it’s been great that even though it’s winter and the world isn’t quite back to normal yet, we have had many visitors keen to get out in the world again.”
Ewe Neek stocks all kinds of wool and yarn, including British Wool, spun in Yorkshire by West Yorkshire Spinners, as well as other Yorkshire-based companies such as Rowan, Sirdar, Cygnet and James C Brett, plus other renowned brands known for beautiful cottons and hand-dyed merino wool.
The couple were buried in the graveyard of St Thomas Church in Stanningley. Photo: Mark Stevenson
Words & photos: Mark Stevenson
Thomas was helping his brother James out at the feast in Farsley as his brother was the keeper of a travelling bazaar.
It involved long hours and the locals were not to be trusted, so Thomas had been sleeping in the bazaar all week at the Farsley feast.
It was not until nine o’clock on Sunday, 5 September 1869 when Matthew Hainsworth, Thomas’s friend, who lived on Cockshotts Hill, had helped him pack his lurry. Emma (Thomas’s girlfriend) was glad of Matthew’s help as it looked like rain. Packing done they said goodnight to Matthew and headed up to Stanningley.
George Beaumont, a Police Constable who lived on Charles Street, was heading back to Farsley from Stanningley when he was just coming through the ‘snicket’ (possibly the one between Sunfield Place and WestRoyd Park) when he noticed a couple.
The ‘snicket’, close to where the bodies were found. Photo: Mark Stevenson
He noticed the girl had her dress over her shoulders and that they were standing against the wall. He recognised Thomas from the feast but not Emma. He remembered the rain was light but as he got back home he could hear thunder.
James Walker, who was a cloth weaver, was on his way home from Fulneck when he was crossing the fields between Stanningley and Farsley (Westroyd Park?) when, as he came through the “snicket”, he noticed the path blocked by two drunks passed out on the floor.
The ‘field’ – now Westroyd Park in Farsley – where the bodies were found. Photo: Mark Stevenson
He gave them a nudge with his umbrella asking them to get out of the way.
Realising his mistake he went to Isaac Rhodes’s house which was nearby on Top Sun Close to ask for help and raise the alarm as he had just discovered the bodies of Thomas and Emma.
George the constable was called about eleven o’clock to attend the scene. He noticed Thomas and Emma lying dead in the field a few yards from where he had seen them earlier near the “snicket”.
George noticed Thomas was on his back and that Emma was face down with her unopened parasol under her with the handle smashed. The bodies were taken to a nearby pub called The Sun.
Site of The Sun pub at Stanningley Bottom, where the bodies were taken. The pub, later known as The Rising Sun, is now a Thai restaurant. Photo: Mark Stevenson
Martha Robertshaw, whose husband Andrew was a mule spinner, helped to lay out the bodies in The Sun. She noticed there were no marks on them other than a mark on Thomas’s forehead and a mark on Emma’s face.
Emma’s parents were Henry and Mary and Emma was the second child they had lost. Emma once had a brother Samuel who she never knew. Emma’s parents were married young in 1851. Henry (20) and Mary (15) with a one-year-old child Samuel.
An inquest was held at The Sun and a verdict of “accidentally killed by lightning” was returned by the jury.
When Thomas Hardaker and Emma Carrick’s funerals were jointly held most of Stanningley came to a standstill as they were held in such high regard as teachers at the nearby St Thomas Sunday School.
If you go into St Thomas’ Church on Stanningley Road, you will find a stained glass window depicting The Good Shepherd.
This window memorialises the two young Sunday School teachers, who were tragically struck by lightning while out courting 150 years ago and are interred in the churchyard just to the left of the church doors. The church held a special service to remember the couple in 2019.
Leeds Civic Hall. Photo: John Baron/westleedsdispatch.com
Words: Richard Beecham, local democracy reporter
A child protection expert has said she has “serious concerns” at how Leeds City Council investigates the district’s most extreme child abuse cases.
The comments came during a meeting where members heard of two cases of serious abuse against children that the council opted not to refer for review, despite police and health professionals urging them to do otherwise.
One senior councillor said it was “unacceptable”, while another said it had “shaken his faith” in the authority’s child services and suspected the council was too concerned about “reputational damage”.
According to laws brought in during 2019, local authorities have to notify a national child safeguarding panel where it knows or suspects a child has been abused or neglected, leading to their death or serious harm.
This decision is made by the council’s children’s services following a meeting with police and health professionals, known as the Independent Leeds Safeguarding Board.
“Serious harm” includes serious or long term impairment of mental health or intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development.
Once the notification is made, a “rapid review” would then take place, looking into how a council’s child protection services could be improved.
A meeting of Leeds City Council’s Children and Families Scrutiny Board heard that, since September 2019, there had been six notifications made by Leeds City Council.
But the chair of the Independent Leeds Safeguarding Board Jasvinder Sanghera CBE said she had raised concerns in August 2021 as to how this system was working, and that police and health professionals would sometimes disagree with the council on whether to refer a case for review.
She told the scrutiny board she had been asked to look into why Leeds had fewer reviews than other councils, adding:
“That made me look at the systems more closely and, without going into case specifics right here, one case did concern me seriously.”
This led to a review into the notification system being set up in December 2021, and is expected to be completed by the end of March.
But the chair of the scrutiny board, Coun Alan Lamb (Con), said he had not even been notified that this was taking place. He added:
“Serious concerns have been raised by the independent chair, and neither myself or this board knew that any of this was going on, which I find unacceptable.”
A discussion then took place for around half an hour about the particular child protection case. It was conducted in private due to the sensitive nature of the case, and to avoid the risk of identifying the victim to the public.
Once the public part of the meeting recommenced, Coun Lamb said: “What has been described to the board is a circumstance where the health, police and council partners of the board disagreed about notifying a case.”
Ms Sanghera confirmed another case had more recently come before the review board, regarding “very young children”.
She added: “Police and health felt very strongly that it should have been considered. I decided to take this case to my executive board – I wouldn’t normally do that, but I have to sleep with myself at night – I am here to make a difference and safeguard children.
“All I will tell you is it is still not going to notification. At the moment that case will have to be considered in terms of the learning from that case in a different way.”
She later added: “I am here as a last resort, in all honesty. The system I raised concerns about last year, but in the here and now, I am in the position where another case has been highlighted, and two partners feel very strongly that it is notifiable in the interests of learning and of children.”
Coun Sandy Lay (Lib Dem) then asked if Ms Sanghera had ever considered resigning due to frustrations with the system.
She responded: “Yes, I have considered my position. Accountability for child protection has always been collective and in my role there is only so much I can do. I feel the frustration of partners too.
“I’m not angry – this is my job. You employ me to be objective and this is my role. This is a collective responsibility.
“We have to lead collectively in the interests of children. This particular piece of legislation in my opinion doesn’t appear to facilitate partnership working in the way I would expect it to.
“It’s about doing the right thing.”
Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult and child social care Coun Fiona Venner (Lab) said:
“All of us who have a leadership role in this council for children have an absolute fierce dedication to children, and to their safety and wellbeing.
“I would like to stress that notifications and rapid reviews are one way that learning happens after there is a serious incident. It is not the only way.
“If we don’t notify a case, it absolutely does not mean that is not considered and not viewed and learning takes place.
“It is absolutely the case that there has been disagreement between partners on notifications but, as Rebecca has outlined, the legislation states it is the local authority that notifies.
“Social workers are the profession that is most imbued in child protection. The local authority making the notification is managing all the cases where children need child protection plans and is immersed in child protection issues all the time.
“When we make a decision on whether to notify or not, we are of course absolutely taking into account of the views of our partners.
“Because of the disagreement, we are doing a review of the notification process. This is a national issue. It is a new system nationally that came in in 2019.”
Leeds City Council’s director of children and families Saleem Tariq OBE added: “It’s not just here in Leeds where there are cases about agreements and disagreements. It is the most serious cases that should come in for consideration.
“We have had lots of conversations on how else we might do that learning. We have done learning events where practitioners involved in a child’s life, when that results in a serious incident, we should bring those practitioners together – that is where the richest learning can happen, in understanding why people made those particular decisions they did in those circumstances.
“I have apologised to you for not bringing this matter previously.”
He went on to assure members the decision was not part of a “planned omission”, adding: “We have been operating in a pandemic under a lot of pressure. We were on with trying to review the processes so we have a stronger position in how we make notifications.”
Coun Lay said: “Up until this point I had absolute faith in our services. This has shaken my faith in our services. We have an independent chair of safeguarding who has considered resignation, we have two partners who have disagreed.
“I worry you have spent nine months telling us we have an excellent service and we haven’t done this because we are worried about reputational damage. I can’t get away from that feeling.
“This system has been in place for two years. I can’t sit here and listen to people say ‘we need time to get it right’, we have to get it right quickly because children are at risk.”
Coun Ryan Stephenson (Con): “There are other ways to review cases, but the importance of a national review is that it is not Leeds marking its own homework. It is a national review to see what lessons could be learned not just in Leeds but across the whole country.”
New plans: Arla Foods on Kirkstall Road. Photo: Google
Early plans for 618 flats on the Former Arla Foods site on Kirkstall Road will come before councillors for initial feedback this week.
Developers Glenbrook Properties is hoping to build a mainly residential-led development of five blocks of apartments with commercial space at ground floor level.
The blocks range between seven to 13 storeys high and there would be 230 surface level car parking spaces The proposal includes the demolition of the existing former Arla depot building which fronts the site.
A centrally positioned new east/west spine road would run through the site, which would include public open spaces.
Councillors will offer feedback to the developers on their vision for the site ahead of a more formal planning application being submitted in the future. While members will offer guidance on layout and scale design and electric vehicle charging points, no final decisions will be taken at this stage.
A planning officer’s report to be considered by councillors states:
“This scheme represents an opportunity to regenerate a mostly cleared brownfield site on the southern side of Kirkstall Road. The emerging proposals would provide large areas of open space as well as connectivity to the waterfront and a new section of riverside walkway.
“It is considered that the emerging form and scale of the proposal is considered to enhance the character of this part of Kirkstall Road and help to deliver the identified housing need in the development plan.”
Outline plans for more than 630 flats on the site from a different developer were originally approved in principle by councillors in January 2021, despite concerns on the impact of extra traffic on the already busy A65.
The proposals will be discussed at next Thursday’s City Plans Panel meeting at Leeds Civic Hall. The agenda, papers and video link to the live meeting can be found here.
The risk of flooding is still a “key threat” to Leeds, and tens of millions of pounds worth of flood defence works will still be needed over the next five years.
That’s according to a report set to go before Leeds City Council chiefs this week, which identifies Otley in particular as an area “at high risk of flooding”.
The document written by council officers comes just a year before phase one of the flood alleviation scheme along the River Aire is set to finish. This would offer a “one in 100 year” cover against flooding, meaning there would be a one per cent chance of floods taking place in a given year.
The council is now working on phase two, which it hopes will provide a “one in 200 year” – or 0.5 per cent – cover against floods.
Phase two of the main flood alleviation scheme is expected to cost around £112m, and centres on the stretch of river between Leeds Station, along the Kirkstall Valley and up to Apperley Bridge. The phase is split into two parts – with step one focussing on placing raised flood walls on an eight kilometre stretch out of Leeds city centre.
Step two is a flood storage area near Calverley, as well as flood walls in Apperley Bridge. Previous papers had said the Calverley site would comprise a 101-acre flood storage reservoir on a site bordering with Horsforth and Rawdon.
The report also outlined more localised schemes, on which £24m of public money would be spent in the coming years.
These included a £4.3m scheme built in Otley, following the flooding of dozens of houses in the town back in 2015. The new scheme there has, the council says, reduced the chance of flooding from 20 per cent to four per cent, with a new embankment, the diversion of a water course and improved conveyance downstream.
The report added: “Otley is at high risk of flooding. Parts of Otley flooded in December 2015 when the River Wharfe burst its banks. There have also been many times where the river has burst its banks and properties have come close to flooding.”
The report stated: “Flood risk is a key threat to the wellbeing of the residents across Leeds and in order to ensure action is taken it is important that council continues a proactive approach to mitigating the impact of flooding.
“Moreover, throughout 2022 and looking to the future the broader focus of climate resilience and adaptation must align very closely with flood risk.”
It added that the current six-year programme will deliver an extra 22 schemes to reduce the risk of flooding by investing £24m.
Leeds City Council’s Infrastructure scrutiny board will discuss the plans on Thursday, February 17.
Petition: Highways safety concerns have led to an online petition. Photo: Google
A Crawshaw Academy student has launched a petition for a pedestrian crossing on a busy Pudsey road.
Residents living in the Kent Road area have long raised concerns about road safety.
Now Crawshaw Academy sixth form student Chloe Freeman has launched a petition to improve pedestrian safety on the road, which already has a speed indicator device installed on a lamppost.
On the online petition, which already collected more than 340 signatures in the first 24 hours, Chloe said:
“As I have heard, people have tried to get a crossing at the bottom gates but it has never been able to happen. I think now is definitely the time a crossing needs to be put on Kent Road at the bottom gates to make it safe for students to cross the road.”
A statement issued by Pudsey councillors Dawn and Simon Seary and Trish Smith said: “We were very concerned to hear of this. The police will conduct a full investigation into the incident and, once that is completed, the Highways Department will then investigate what can be done to improve road safety on Kent Road.
“We know road safety is of concern to local residents, and we will work with the local authority and the Police to do whatever we can to improve the situation.”
The councillors have previously raised concerns with the police and Highways about Kent Road, and in 2019 additional road markings were introduced to improve visibility in the area.
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said:
“We’re very sorry to hear that a child was involved in a collision with a vehicle on Kent Road, Pudsey last Friday and would like to wish them a full and speedy recovery.
“As always in such circumstances, it is important to understand all the facts before making recommendations and colleagues are already in dialogue with the Police to better understand the causation factors behind this collision. Once all the facts are known, these will help determine the most appropriate course of action, which may include a formal crossing at this location.
“Due to the number of requests received each year, pedestrian crossing requests are reviewed throughout the year, ensuring that both local and Department for Transport criteria and guidance are adhered to.”
