By John Baron
A petition has been launched voicing ‘deep frustration and concern over the prolonged and unacceptable’ closure of a busy Kirkstall road.
Morris Lane first closed on 9 October last year following a burst pipe which caused flooding between Abbey Walk and Hesketh Mount. Repairs were originally scheduled to be complete before Christmas, with further dates of March and then may provided by Yorkshire Water.
As WLD reported yesterday, repairs on the busy road are set to continue for another three months and are now scheduled for competition in August – ten months after the leak occurred.
A petition has now been launched calling for action from the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Steve Reed MP and water services regulation authority Ofwat.
Burley resident Stuart Long said the petition calls for an immediate investigation into Yorkshire Water’s handling of the Morris Lane works.
He said: “Every time it gets near to the completion deadline Yorkshire Water pulls the rug from underneath the community and simply extend again. This is leading to logistical nightmares for traffic movement and environmental effects caused by pollution from traffic but also financial hardship for local businesses.
“We have launched a petition calling on the Secretary of State for Defra and the CEO of Ofwat to take action on this matter as a matter of urgency to help put the community’s lives and environment back to a more normal situation.”
Campaigners say the works have created severe traffic congestion on Kirkstall Road, Queenswood Drive and others with delays exceeding 45 minutes during peak hours.
there has also been disruption to public transport, as well as negative economic effects on local shops and small businesses who rely on footfall and road access.
The petition asks Defra and Oft to demand a revised, fixed completion deadline with weekly public updates, hold Yorkshire Water accountable for the delays and require transparent disclosure of all contributing factors and ensure compensation and mitigation for residents and businesses directly affected by the disruption.
It also calls for a review of Yorkshire Water’s wider performance and planning protocols to prevent similar issues.
The petition concludes: “This is not just a local inconvenience — it is a clear breach of public trust and regulatory expectation. We respectfully urge DEFRA and Ofwat to act swiftly, visibly, and decisively.”
The petition can be found here.
Yorkshire Water say engineers have found the repairs more difficult due to work taking place 8.5m below ground and next to a mains electricity cable.
In a statement issued yesterday, a spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said: “We appreciate how frustrating delays can be and we thank residents and road users for their ongoing patience as we carry out this complicated and complex repair.
“As with any works of this nature, we do sometimes come across challenges that can set our timescales back slightly.
“Our contract partners recently found an incorrectly mapped cast iron water main, laid pre-1980, which has caused further delay as the main required a vacuum excavator to avoid damaging the pipe. This has impacted the original timelines and schedule of works, requiring detailed design amendments to ensure we can safely continue the permanent fix to the sewer.
“Due to its complexity, we have installed scaffolding and a downpipe in the new manhole shaft to allow us to core drill through the concrete wall. We have engaged specialist contractors to complete this work and, to repair the damaged pipe, specialist steel piping has been ordered and fabricated. Unfortunately, this has added further delays until the bespoke materials are delivered to complete the scheme.
“Our customer liaison teams are in contact with the local community to keep them up to date with proceedings and wherever possible, our contractors are working later evenings, when it will not cause undue disruption to residents neighbouring the site.”
Maybe the Council is actually trialling a ‘Greenway’ for pedestrians and cyclists only during this never ending saga. Seems that Ed Miliband’s net zero obsession overrides everything within Labour politics these days. Election day can’t come soon enough.