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South Leeds Life | July 2021
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In our view End of the Managed Approach Campaigners who fought to bring an end to the Managed Approach in Holbeck are celebrating, but they need to remember that street sex work in the area didn’t start with the adoption of the Approach and hasn’t ended since it has been suspended. Safer Leeds were rightly criticised for introducing it without the required level of resources and have been playing catch up ever since. They have not been helped by some of our friends in the media who have used sensationalist headlines to sell papers and inadvertently encouraged men to travel from across the country and fuel the trade. We are pleased to see that resources will remain in place to support the community.
Honours for public service The Queen has dished out honours to two very worthy recipients in South Leeds in the last month. Both Rachael Loftus and DAZL exemplify public service. Rachael for her work over many years both in the voluntary and statutory sector helping disadvantaged groups; and DAZL who bring art and exercise through dance to young people who might not otherwise get the opportunity to express themselves. Even if you’re not in favour of the current honours system, it’s the only one we’ve got so let’s celebrate.
Saving Lives We have given over the middle pages this month to make sure you know where you can find a defibrillator if you are in the unhappy situation of needing to use one. They can be a real life saver and are very easy to use - you don’t need any training and you can’t harm the patient with one. Equally important is knowing how to administer CPR, so watch out for training courses, go along and learn a life saving skill.
South Leeds
Laughs What’s the difference between a poorly dressed man on a tricycle and a welldressed man on a bicycle? Attire. If you've got a great joke you want to share (max 200 words), email it to us at info@southleedslife.com by the 15th of each month, with your name and address, and the best one each month will win a £5 prize.
Your letters and comments Active Travel Neighbourhoods Its very concerning how Leeds Council will sell out the city out of boredom or for their own experiments, on the off chance one might actually work. It’s incredibly selfish, aimed to please a vision that kids can play safe in the streets in sunshine and rainbows. The cars are not the problem on these streets, start cleaning them up rather than trying to create more problems. The most this will impact are the residents, all delivery drivers, taxis, and then all the lost drivers we will have trying to navigate through the mess! We live in a time where using cars and deliveries are a major part of life. Just accept this rather than change it, they can’t all ride bikes, no one even uses the new cycle lanes. All this will do is cause unnecessary travel and clog Beeston Road, Old Lane and Dewsbury Road. Save yourselves some embarrassment and listen to the people. Tom I think it’s a case of they are spitting their dummy out because they had to put it on hold last time. This is stupid to even think about till Dewsbury Road is finished and a true study of air quality and traffic count done on surrounding roads. How can anybody know if something works if they don’t have figures from before to measure against the “trial.” Plus the statements in the last survey were so untrue like saying visitors to the area used the Grove as a cut through? They admitted at the meeting they had not done a study and were presuming. You tell me what sat nav would tell a driver to go through a 20mph zone? Once Dewsbury Road is done no Elland Road fans will cut through because it will be gridlocked. If this survey is as biased as the last one in the hope that people will be that disgusted they will give up then there will be a backlash. Jan I am very concerned about our street being blocked off. My husband is disabled and we must use a car to get out and about. The Cross Flatts plan will make this difficult for us. Lori Graham-Dixon I walk everywhere, my kids walk to school through the Cross Flatts area and if this goes even part way to stopping the imbeciles who drive high-powered German hatchbacks at 40 in a 20 zone then I’m all in! A Payne You don’t need to cycle and walk everywhere but if lots of people cycled and walked somewhere it would be of benefit to their health and the planet ... so it’s a win win in my book! Phil Goodfield As has said before by many resident that live on the streets: the planter idea is not wanted. It would cause not only problems for people like myself who lives local getting my kids to two different schools on time, but also a inconvenience for the residents. On the other hand the safer school scheme has really made a huge difference and should be kept. Amanda Davis
The Active Travel Neighbourhood in Hyde Park
Cycle lanes Leeds City Council are totally crazy with this cycle route madness. The routes are hardly ever used by cyclists. It’s costing rate payers millions for no benefit to Leeds residents. They should be ashamed of their incompetence and stupidity. And I say that as a Labour party member of many years. Gordon The new cycle lane on Elland Road is a death trap. Cars do not stop when they come and go to McDonalds or as they are coming out of the streets. LCC have been told about this and have so far chosen not to act on the information given, it won’t be long before someone is seriously injured or even killed on the route. Paul McDermott These are the usual anti bike responses. For the bike lanes to be sucessful a network has to be created. Our cycle investment has been so poor for many years this is about catching up. We cannot continue to pollute our air with the internal combustion engine. Martin Dean
Covid Memorial Wood I think this is great. I have on a few occasions walked through West Wood? The woods to the south of the golf course so now we will have woodland and park from the edge of White Rose up to Hunslet. It’s great to see Middleton Park getting bigger and maybe one day it can sit on a par (golf pun not intended) with Roundhay Park in the North. It’s also good to see a memorial as well as a place to thank and remember the contribution of those on the front line. This should help build a great asset for the communities which surround Middleton Park. Andrew McLoughlin
End of Managed Approach At last , but I don’t buy the it’s a decision based on the views of local residents as local residents have been ignored up until (allegedly) now. However, just as this announcement has been made numerous building projects have started in and around the managed zone, some residential, some offices. Money talks. Hopefully this will mean I can walk home from town on a sunny afternoon without
been asked “do you want business love” as happened twice last week even though the managed joke was not officially open. But whatever reasons for closing it down at least it’s happened, much to delight of the majority of Holbeck residents. Perhaps now is the time for all these MPs, Councillors, and street workers charities to come together and find a nationwide solution instead of trying it out in Holbeck. Henry
Matthew Murray school site Yet again massive proposals are being made without any consultation or reference to the local community. Holbeck Neighbourhood Plan has now been in place for a couple of years recognised nationaly but seemingly ignored by LCC. We have tried to engage with LUFC previously, one would have thought that some gesture of recognition to the local community could have been made. Ingram Road school were to have been involved in the previous plans with imporovements to their school field, what is to happen to those promises now? Big announcements in the press are all well and good but prior information to parties closely affected could have been made. The new proposal looks good and is potentialy going to benefit the local communities more effectively based on the old Matthew Murray site. Dennis Kitchen
Elland Road vinegar factory I wonder if any of your readers would have a photo of the building? I’ve looked before on Leodis and searched the internet but the only image of the brewery is this and one other sketch. Similarly the huge and imposing Holbeck Workhouse which for years loomed just up Elland Road opposite the Moor has very few photos online. One just assumes that such significant buildings would have been well documented. Blue
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