The Stop the Stourton
Park and Ride campaign continues – and we’re holding a public meeting this coming Thursday (23 August 2018; details below) for other residents to come and find out more, and to get involved. We wanted to work with the councillors (from both Hunslet and Riverside, and Middleton Park), on this and previous meetings – but they have disappointingly refused to engage.
Here are ten reasons why this Park and Ride scheme is flawed:
1. South Leeds doesn’t need another Park and Ride: there’s already one nearby at Elland Road.
2. If Park and Rides are necessary for the city, why aren’t there any substantial plans to tackle the real areas of congestion in west and north Leeds? South Leeds is once again being asked to take a hit on behalf of the city.
3. Valuable local green space – the only car-free zone in an area heavily polluted from nearby motorways and busy roads – will be turned into a giant carpark. We want to see the site reforested, to actually improve local air quality.
4. The greenfield site currently offers many residents their only pleasant view locally; this will be lost, potentially contributing to depression and mental health issues.
5. The scheme’s giant carpark will be situated insensitively next to Hunslet cemetery, which of course many local people have strong connections with.
6. New pathways down to the carpark from Middleton Road will provide easy access into the cemetery and community, for those wanting to create social disorder – especially off-road bikers.
7. There’s no road access from Belle Isle / Hunslet, to the site; nor will the buses stop locally. This Park and Ride is not for local people, but will offer subsidised transport for Wakefield residents.
8. Park and Rides can be great, like the one at Temple Green in east Leeds – but having such a large one, so close to a residential area, isn’t right.
9. Park and Rides are not the long-term answer to make our cities greener: they are still car-based schemes. Groups include Friends of the Earth and Healthy Air Leeds support us.
10. Changes to the A61 and A639 roads through Stourton and Hunslet, without any thought to local roads, will produce dangerous rat-runs through Belle Isle and Middleton, and drive up local air pollution.
As with the proposal to exclude south Leeds from the forthcoming Leeds Clean Air Zone, our health and wellbeing is being ignored by the local councillors and by Leeds City Council. We believe these issues are worth fighting, and we invite all residents of Hunslet, Belle Isle and Middleton to join us.
This week’s public meeting is on Thursday 23 August 2018, 7pm at Woodhouse Hill Community Centre (Woodhouse Hill Road, Hunslet Carr, LS10 2EF – just up from the New Bay Horse pub). Or find us and get in touch anytime via Twitter, or email stopstourton@yahoo.com.
This post was written by the Stop the Stourton Park and Ride group, using our Create an article for South Leeds Life page.
