A new pocket park with community stage is being built in a bid to lift the Armley Town Street area. Leeds City Council’s neighbourhood centres co-ordinator, Peter Mudge, writes about what the new area will mean for the area…
With 154 businesses – including butchers, bakers and candlestick makers (well, cake decorators!), plus grocers, hardware, shoe repairs, pubs, three new quality restaurants and a multitude of other businesses – Armley has an ever-strengthening offer.
This is set to get stronger as new tenants move into the old Fultons and Boots stores, which both closed due to national changes. With new independents opening it means the offer of Town Street is ever more welcoming.
But 21st century town centres need social as well as retail strength, so it is great news for Armley that a pocket park with stage is being built on the fenced off section of Gelder Road.
The public and private sectors have come together to make this possible with the Cleaner Neighbourhoods Team clearing the site and Leeds City Council Highways Department levelling the surface and laying a suitable performance area with entry point to enable the shows to go on!
This was a major piece of work by the Highways team of Pat Griffin, Lewis Stephens, Dave Drurey, Max Brier, Steve Birdsall, Gary Waterhouse, and Mick Conrecorde in a project arranged by Alex Wells. He said:
“When we heard about this opportunity to help Armley town centre we were delighted to offer support. It’s not every day we get the chance to build a performance area and pocket park.”
Painters have now been commissioned and street entertainers are being sought for events in the build up to Christmas. Armley is also looking to have a shop window competition, which may include fancy dress.
As revealed by West Leeds Dispatch last week, meeters and greeters are being arranged to welcome shoppers back to the town centre and visit its range of daytime and evening eateries. Like the performance area, the meeters and greeters are being arranged through Armley Action Team with the help of national Welcome Back to High Streets funding.
School choirs, art installations, unicyclists and all the other great talents of West Leeds are welcome to perform at the new Armley location via peter.mudge@leeds.gov.uk or contact Armley Action Team on armleyactionteam@gmail.com.