Residents and community groups gathered on Marley View in Beeston on Saturday morning (11 May 2024) to see the Lord Mayor cut the ribbon on a beautiful multi-use community space created from a derelict back-to-back yard.
The project has been organised by Our Future Beeston, part of Climate Action Leeds and has taken two years to come to fruition. Once rubbish had been cleared from the yard it became clear that the floor needed to be rebuilt and repaved.
The yard now features fruit, veg and flower planting as well as seating. Timber structures have been built from recycled pallets to accommodate the wheelie bins.
Before cutting the ribbon, The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Cllr Al Garthwaite, said:
“This binyard is a real example of partnership and community working. So many different people have had input into making this the wonderful new binyard what it is. From clearing out all the rubbish – 80 bags of rubbish I hear – then working solidly through the rain and having to build up the wall.
“It will be the local community who will be really using this as way of getting together, coming and sitting here and just enjoying each other’s company. I think it’s a marvellous thing. Many thanks to Climate Action Leeds and everybody who’s had any part in this, I think it’s wonderful and I just wish that all our binyards could done up like this.”
Local resident Ann Taylor, who worked on the project is delighted with the result:
“I think it’s absolutely wonderful” she said. “It’s just the best thing, it’s taken a long time, but it is just so lovely. I live in the end house and I’ll be able come out on an evening and sit after a hard day’s work.”
“I’ve lived here a long time and it’s just nice to have something looking nice in the hope that it encourages other people to do the same. It shows people that visit that Beeston’s not that bad, you know, there are some nice places, there are some nice people we just get on with it.
“It’s been a community project, a lot of people on the street have helped and it means you get talking to neighbours that you wouldn’t normally talk to. The hope is that other people will do the same, maybe not to this extent, it was a big job, but people can take ideas from here.”
The project has seen the involvement of many different groups including Health For All, Beeston in Bloom, the Beeston Womblers, GW Ward & Sons, Leeds Wood Recycling, Hyde Park Source local councillors and members of the community and was funded through the Lottery Community Fund.
Cllr Andrew Scopes (Labour, Beeston & Holbeck) commented:
“What I think is really important about this is that the community has been involved. Special thanks to Clare Tate who has led the project and Our Future Beeston, who have worked hard to make it happen. This is a real win for the community and I hope to see other people in back-to-back terraces being inspired by this and improving their binyards in the future.”
Main photo L-R: Beth Bingley (Climate Action Leeds), Lady Mayoress Hon Alderwoman Angela Gabriel BEM, Lord Mayor of Leeds, Cllr Al Garthwaite, Student Consort Winnie, Clare Tate (Beeston in Bloom) and resident Ann Taylor. Credit Jeremy Morton
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It’s really great to see these disused bin yards been made into very useful areas, hopefully this can happen in other bin yards around Leeds