Wesley Street to be closed through January and February

On By Jeremy Morton

The bottom of Wesley Street is to be closed to traffic from Monday 4 January 2021 as work to create a new cycle lane is rescheduled to avoid congestion when Leeds’s mass Covid-19 vaccination programme starts.

In a letter to Councillors seen by South Leeds Life, Nick Boras, Principal Engineer (Delivery & Localities) at Leeds City Council, explained that work at the junction of Wesley Street and Elland Road was programmed to run for 16 weeks from 5 February, but had just learned that the main community Covid-19 vaccination centre for Leeds will be located in the Elland Road area with vaccinations starting in mid-January.

Following discussion with the contactors it has been decided to bring forward and accelerate the works at the junction, however this will involve a complete road closure. Work at the junction is expected to last 8 weeks from 4 January. It is hoped that this section of the works will be finished before the vaccination centre is running at full flow and fans potentially return to Leeds United matches.

Vehicular access to the Wesley Street area will still be available via the designated diversion routes of:

  • Via the Elland Road, A6110 Ring Road, Town Street and Wesley Street from the south; and
  • Via Elland Road, Cemetery Road, Beeston Road, Town Street and Wesley Street from the north.

All pedestrian access through the Elland Road/Wesley Street junction will be maintained throughout the working period.

Commenting on the plans, Cllr Gohar Almass (Beeston & Holbeck) said:

“My Councillor colleagues Angela Gabriel, Andrew Scopes and I all live in Beeston so we understand, recognise and empathise with the fact that this work is going to cause a major disruption not only to the residents living in the Wesleys, Sunnyviews etc, but beyond.

“Therefore, it must be ensured that this work is completed within the proposed timescale to assist the access and full flow to the Vaccination Centre when it’s running at its maximum capacity for our local community and also to the visitors and spectators back to Elland Road Stadium.”

 

Photo: Google Streetview

 

8 Replies to “Wesley Street to be closed through January and February”

  1. Does anybody know why we need another cycle lane when there already is one that goes from elland road under m621 over Mathew Murray tunnel down through Holbeck and on to Whitehall road into town!

  2. Given that 70 – 80 yo’s will be getting their vax in January, how are they going to get to Elland Rd from Beeston if Wesley St is shut. If it’s icy and after dark what if somebody falls? The work must wait, meanwhile the Council offices need to be purged of these cycle fascists. We are not all 20 somethings addicted to Pelotron. Councillors must act on our behalf, it’s bad enough with that shower in Downing St.

  3. I totally agree I worked at seacroft hospital when the cycle lane was being installed .York road was terrible at rush hours . This was made worse by the non use of the cycle lane when completed. Belle Isle road has one its marvellous for motorcyclists to use to do 40mph plus to undertake the cars doing 30mph. Please councillors ask yourselves when was the last time you cycled to work or indeed used public transport ,another not fit for purpose joke

  4. I WENT TO THE MEETING IN HOLBECK WITH OTHER RESIDENTS IN WESLEY STREET FOR THE PROPOSED BUILDING OF THE CYCLE LANEN NO RESIDENT WANTED THIS
    BUT ALL WE GOT WAS THAT IT WAS FREE FROM THE GOVERNMENT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY

  5. Absolutely ridiculous. Yet again no consultation with the residents of Beeston. All this disruption to build a cycle lane that will be of no use to the vast majority of us. It will be interesting to see just how many people using the Eland Road park & Ride will bring their bikes with them to cycle into town when they can get on a clean dry bus instead. Yet another crazy folly tied into to their Agenda 21 so called ” Leeds – sustainable city of Culture” nonsense.

    1. The post above yours says he went to a meeting in Holbeck to discuss the works. Your saying there was no consultation.

  6. As a beeston resident and a cyclist who has fallen foul of useless drivers twice over the years i welcome the cycle lane all we need now is retesting of many of the dangerous drivers who shouldn’t be allowed on the roads

Comments are closed.