Beeston

This scheme for Beeston covers:

Allenby Road, Barkley Road, Cross Flatts Avenue, Grove, Place Street, Cross Flatts Terrace, Firth Grove, Grovehall Drive, Marsden Avenue, Oakhurst Mount, Parkfield Road, Parkfield Row, Theodore Street and Wooler Street to implement the required closures and road narrowings.

Please see the plans here, or download them from the bottom of the page. These will show how to access each road and where planters or road narrowing measures will be placed. Please read to the bottom of the page for more information and give your opinions using the Comment on this Proposal button.

We are delivering the Active Travel Neighbourhoods scheme using an experimental traffic order to trial the road closures for a maximum of 18 months. This will be monitored during this time to see whether traffic has reduced and road safety improved.

Before permanent closure to ‘through’ traffic, a statutory process would need to be followed which includes publication of notice and formal consultation. This trial will be in place for a minimum of 6 months and during this time we want to hear from you. Tell us what you think and if the Active Travel Neighbourhood should remain permanently.

We welcome comments and suggestions on how to improve your area more and let us know how you would like the permanent scheme to look like using the survey below .

It is anticipated most of this work will be undertaken during the day. Unfortunately there may be some disruption during the installation of the planters and signage. Your access to properties will be maintained at all times.

We’d like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience this might cause. The works are expected to be completed in September 2020, but if there are delays due to unforeseen circumstances this may be extended for a short time.

What is an active travel neighbourhood?

An active travel neighbourhood or a low traffic neighbourhood is a residential area where ‘through’ motor traffic is discouraged or removed, and the remaining space is improved for residents.

They are usually created using barriers (also known as modal filters) which allow walking and cycling through a certain street or area, but restrict access to motor vehicles. Physical barriers such as planters or signs are strategically placed to stop motorist access on selected roads to prevent using the area as a cut-through.

Why are they being introduced in Leeds?

Leeds City Council declared a Climate Emergency on 27 March 2019 and is committed to addressing issues affecting the environment and health of our communities.

The outbreak of COVID-19 impacted on people’s daily habits, with travel being significantly impacted for most of us. The majority of daily habitual journeys stopped, and traffic levels fell dramatically. This provided people with a safer environment to take their daily exercise or plan essential trips in their local area. As lockdown restrictions eased, personal car use increased as people are reluctant to travel on public transport, unless we can encourage more people to walk or cycle.

The potential for increasing traffic levels makes the streets less attractive for those who choose to walk and cycle. It is crucial we build in a safer environment for those modes of transport, to prevent area wide congestion. This is why we are taking immediate action.

Our new temporary active travel neighbourhoods will help tackle through-traffic (‘rat-runs’) in residential neighbourhoods and maximise space for pedestrians and cyclists. They will also play a vital role in improving air quality, delivering safer roads and promoting active travel as we work towards becoming a cleaner, greener Leeds.

Where is the money coming from?

These new, temporary measures are being delivered as part of the Government's Emergency Active Travel scheme to support active travel and aid social distancing. This has a strict programme, with delivery of measures to be in place by the end of September, and those tight deadlines have dictated the method of delivery.

Where are they being introduced and when?

We are planning to trial active travel neighbourhoods in Beeston, Chapeltown and Hyde Park.

Active travel neighbourhoods - why we’re prioritising people over cars?

Over the years, the road network was constructed with roads added, made wider and faster. It was thought this would decrease congestion as these roads were designed to make car journeys faster and more convenient. Unfortunately, these increases in the capacity of our network have created additional demand for car travel – the A roads filled up more increased congestion. Residential streets are where those journeys originate and end, so naturally there was an increase in traffic there, made worse when local through roads turned to rat runs in a bid to avoid congestion.

This through traffic often dominates, as vehicles take priority over all other road users and residents. Sometimes speed and volumes are at unacceptable levels. But active travel neighbourhoods reverse the pecking order. Cars are directed away from the local streets with a 20 mph speed limit and onto the surrounding road distributor network where they can travel faster – thus overall increases in journey times should not be more than a few minutes. On low traffic and slow speeds streets, children can play, any age can walk or cycle, neighbours can socialise – and cars are ‘guests’. The community can flourish as people spend more time on their streets.

How long will the measures be in place?

These measures will be in place for an initial trial period of six months, at which stage the measures will be reviewed. If they prove successful and subject to feedback received, they could be extended for a period of time (up to 18 months from implementation) or become permanent.

How were these locations identified?

The locations were chosen based on a number of factors, which mainly were identified locally by Leeds residents. The council launched an online consultation in May for residents to suggest a scheme, which received 24,000 contributions. This response along with previous information received from residents and engagement with local ward councillors helped prioritise the locations.

Neighbourhoods have also been prioritised where plans exist for up and coming cycle infrastructure and pedestrian improvements, to enable making sustainable active travel journeys beyond the immediate area possible.

The plans were also produced with recommendations from engineers and planners (with some areas identified through existing proposals, suitably modified). Sites have been visited by highways engineers, who are confident these locations will benefit from the new measures.

Why have residents not been consulted first?

The active traffic neighbourhoods are a response to COVID-19 Government Emergency Active Travel scheme. In Leeds we’ve created a ‘Safe Streets Save Lives’ campaign which brings together a number of initiatives in support of active travel.

The Government asked councils across the country to prepare plans which needed to be submitted, designed and delivered quickly. This means we were unable to follow our normal practice of consultation prior to schemes being considered. Funding bids were submitted in June and all successful bids need to be in place by September 2020.

These measures are being introduced using Experimental Traffic Orders, on a trial basis for six months. This means trials can be installed quickly, using low cost and temporary materials. The council will monitor the scheme for effectiveness and will listen to feedback from residents based on their real impact and experience, rather than a hypothetical discussion about a plan or proposal.

Local residents will receive a letter if an active travel neighbourhood is launching in their area, approximately two weeks before the proposals are implemented.

The Traffic Management Orders will also be advertised on the local roads and in local newspapers.

How can I provide feedback?

Once the measures are in place and during the trial period you can share your views and comments via our ‘Active Travel Neighbourhoods’ consultation on our commonplace site.

We will allow time for residents to experience the changes and for traffic patterns to settle down.

During the first six months of operation, anyone can submit written comments or objections by using the following link .

You can write to the following address Development Team, Legal Services, Leeds City Council, Civic Hall, Leeds LS1 1UR or email legal.development@leeds.gov.uk

How will the council be monitoring the success of the schemes?

All immediately affected roads, plus surrounding roads will be monitored. Data will be collected by installing traffic count tubes and comparing them to previous data, together with site observations. We will also be gathering feedback from residents on our commonplace site .

If my road is closed, how will emergency vehicles be able to access?

The safety of our residents is a key priority. Leeds City Council works closely with the emergency services before each scheme is installed. We make sure they can still access every street, and will continue to work with them to see how the trial measures work in practice. We will also be helping emergency services update their sat nav data to ensure that access is not compromised.

Can I still drive inside an active travel neighbourhood?

Yes, this is not a pedestrianisation scheme. It is vital that people who need to use their cars, such as blue badge holders, can still do so. Residents will still be able to access their property by car, as will visitors, deliveries from outside the area and service vehicles such as waste collection trucks, but their routes may need to change. The aim is to deter through-traffic, not remove all traffic.

Will there be exemptions for residents or blue badge holders?

The measures proposed will create physical barriers to prevent through traffic using certain routes. This will mean that all local traffic, including blue badge holders may need to use alternative routes to get into and out of their residential areas.

What will happen after the six month trial comes to an end?

Leeds City Council is legally obliged to formally consider all formal objections received during the first six months of the scheme’s operation. The council will also carefully consider all feedback received on commonplace and traffic data collated during the trial before deciding whether the changes should be extended for a period of time (up to 18 months from implementation), made permanent or removed.

How can residents stay informed on any further developments?

The latest information will be added to the Commonplace site. You can also register for news to be updated on developments. Once available, the results from the resident consultation and data will be uploaded here.

If I have a question who can I speak to?

If you have any further questions in the meantime, please email connectingleeds@leeds.gov.uk