By John Baron
Work on a £2.9 million scheme to revamp the Armley Town Street area could now start in the summer, a community meeting has heard.
WLD reported in November that work on the scheme – which includes making parts of Town Street bus-only, new cycling and walking links, upgraded bus stops, speed reductions and measures to reduce rat running – would start in Spring.
But an occasionally heated Armley Forum meeting last night heard the project could now start in the summer – while a number of traders continued to express concerns over the impact of the scheme on Town Street businesses.
Leeds City Council highways officer David O’Donoghue said officers had been finalising scheme designs. Some changes had been made as a result of the positioning of underground cables and water pipes and from public feedback.
“We are probably a bit behind where we wanted to be, partly because of the feedback around parking,” Mr O’Donoghue said. “It is a complex scheme in a conservation area.
“Assuming everything progresses as we hope, we’re probably looking at a summertime, maybe late summer, start.”
He said the public would be able to have a further say on the proposals when traffic regulation orders were advertised in April.
Some worried traders and residents reiterated their concerns over making parts of Town Street bus and taxi only, and a reduction in parking spaces. They fear the changes could affect businesses already facing challenging times.
One said the move would be “the death of Armley Town Street.”
The meeting heard more than 10,000 daily car journeys were taken along Town Street and that over 80% of traffic did not stop to shop in the area. More parking spaces had been added to the scheme in the past year.
It’s hoped the scheme would encourage drivers to use Tong Road and Stanningley Road instead, making the Town Street area a better place to spend time in.
Construction work is estimated to take 40-50 weeks, subject to guidance from contractors.
A public consultation was first held in summer 2024 into the proposals, which aim to reduce bus delays while improving the street environment for visitors with wider pavements, planting and landscaping and more crossing points.
WLD reported last March that parts of the scheme had been revised following concerns from business owners and shoppers.
The scheme is part of Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s successful bid of £7.9million from Active Travel England’s Active Travel Fund.
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Add it to the growing list of places to avoid
As usual the council clowns don’t listen to people working or living in the area
They don’t want it
Move the bus routes as they are the ones causing problems
The previous scheme at the Stanningley road junction was a ridiculous misuse of money by so call experts of the highways dept.
Who do these Pulic Servants think they are overriding public objections everywhere.
Spending money on silly ideas like this instead of repairs to the roads onto the new Armley gyratory
Tong road just before the gyratory is a disgrace to Leeds
The road looks like a unused country road so many potholes that it looks like a patchwork quilt.
Leeds Highway should hang their heads in shame .
I think you mean Wellington Road.
Businesses in the area
They don’t want it
Move the bus routes as they are the ones causing problems
The previous scheme at the Stanningley road junction was a ridiculous misuse of money by so call experts of the highways dept.
Who do these Pulic Servants think they are overriding public objections everywhere.
Spending money on silly ideas like this instead of repairs to the roads onto the new Armley gyratory
Tong road just before the gyratory is a disgrace to Leeds
The road looks like a unused country road so many potholes that it looks like a patchwork quilt.
Leeds Highway should hang their heads in shame .
I was just wondering when going down branch road you can’t turn left to go back up Stanningley road, which is one of the reasons l don’t shop in armley anymore, plus the parking issue. And the drug problems.
I grew up in Armley and we always shopped there, I’m going back to the mid seventies and town st and Armley was on a level with places like Horsforth. But in the early nineties lots of different nationalities appeared and like similar towns serious decline began, people stopped going there especially on an evening it’s become a no go area. I’m afraid re -vamping the area will make no difference all the quality shops are long gone.
Armley Townstreet why waste money there are no shops that the majority of people use
Another total waste of money for the clownsal road planning department, the roads all over the city falling apart and yet they want to cause more tragic carnage around this area, Stanningley Road is always one massive car park from that failed scheme
How about you investigate all of these shops with no customers? Barbers, Vape shops, European market? Some of these businesses will serve a purpose to the community but the majority have a clearly sinister motive.
You can redress the paths and planters but you need to remove the rot first.