A new footpath across the former South Leeds Golf Club, now part of Middleton Park, has opened. The path was built following the decision to close the old cobbled path that ran between Cockburn School and its new 3G sports facility.
Designed with accessibility and year-round use in mind, the new footpath is more user-friendly than the old route, which had become isolated from public view. Unlike the old ancient path, which is still fully preserved for heritage purposes, the new route offers a safe, welcoming, and practical way for residents to enjoy the area in all weather conditions.
Some local people have praised the initiative, noting the positive impact it will have on community connectivity and outdoor activity opportunities.
“The new footpath is a brilliant addition to our community,” said one local resident. “It’s safe, easy to use, and makes the area so much more accessible for everyone.”
A spokesperson for Cockburn School said:
“Cockburn School continues to be committed to enhancing facilities for the community. Their dedication has once again ensured that South Leeds residents benefit from modern, accessible, and thoughtfully designed spaces.
“The new layout also allows Cockburn School to secure its site from intruders, ensuring a safe environment for students while still maintaining public access through the new footpath.
“This project reflects a shared commitment to creating spaces that meet the needs of South Leeds residents while respecting the history and heritage of the area.”
Commenting on the new path, Alan Shaw from the Friends of Middleton Park said:
“The diverted Public Right Of Way (PROW) is welcomed in that it ensures that there continues to be a through route from Gypsy Lane west, that is easily accessible for all users and it opens up the land for use by all. The view of the Friends was that there was no need for such an extensive and built path crossing that land but now that the work has been completed, we will seek to ensure that the path is used appropriately and accessible to all.
“We are also working with the local community and the council to ensure that the historic path (with its stone sets) that the diverted PROW replaces is maintained as per the planning permission agreed with the council.”
Photo courtesy of Cockburn School
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The old path was beautiful and used everyday by photographers, dog walkers, people taking a short cut, Joggers going to the sports centre not to mention people enjoying the animal and insect life living in the. ancient hedgerows. Now woop de woo. a clinical path with no interesting features except the fencing separating the people of the area from the toxic fake grass football pitch that replaced the rewarded meadowland that once thrived there. How the school can say that the path now is better than what the people had before is beyond me.
Unfortunately someone hasn’t done their homework! The opening of the new path and development constitutes a reportable breach of the planning conditions.
Condition 12 states that “Prior to the development being brought into use, a scheme to retain and maintain the section of footpath known as Leeds 207 as shown contained in the red line application boundary shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall include a management plan to maintain and preserve the footpath’s historic stone setts, hedging and tree line for the life of the development and shall be implemented upon commencement of use of the development.”
If readers view 25/05511/COND on the planning portal they will notice no such scheme has so far been produced, as confirmed by the Conservation team. I look forward to the school producing a detailed report asap by a heritage consultant and nature officer regarding the natural and cultural history of the ancient route and how they intend to care for it properly.
Perhaps the school could also agree to open the ancient route on heritage open days each year so that the community can walk the route and inspect the condition of the path themselves. Particularly now that they have isolated it from public view. Wait for the silence!
This comment has been left anonymously elsewhere on the website but belongs here, these are not my views.
Once again I feel the need to respond to comments regarding the new footpath adjacent to Cockburn School. Although I now have no links with Beeston I have been connected with the area for nearly thirty years.
Your correspondents’ main objections to the new footpath appear to be threefold – that they no longer have the use of an old cobbled path and that wildlife will be impacted, that the new path was pushed for entirely by the school and that the presence of the school is disadvantageous to the local community .
Wendy, on the 17th October stated in your pages that the path was “used everyday by photographers, dog walkers, people taking a short cut, Joggers going to the sports centre not to mention people enjoying the animal and insect life living in the ancient hedgerows”.
It would be an extremely foolhardy jogger who attempted to run along the old muddy, cobbled path to get to the sports centre, and in this day and age anyone seen snapping away with a camera so close to a school would soon be involved with a visit from the police. That has not happened and now that the new path is open is never likely to, improving the security and safety of the school’s pupils. Incidentally, I am surprised that Wendy thinks the path has been so busy – that being the case it would not have been so overgrown and narrow – see the photo in South Leeds Life (12th December 2024)..
Robert Raby claims in your paper that “…so you have torn up a part of History to put some tarmac down” – no cobbles have been torn up – if Mr. Raby could be bothered to make his way to the footpath he would see that they are still there, and consequently the history of Beeston has not been defiled.
As far as wildlife is involved could I remind those people so concerned by its habitat that the path is built on the old golf course, which is of course not a game considered to be very thoughtful of wildlife, especially on its greens. I don’t remember there ever being complaints about the golf course’s attitude to wildlife by any of the newly concerned nature lovers.
The new path was insisted on by the council and not by the school, and is important for the security of the school’s pupils as well as part of the planning permission for the new sports facilities at Cockburn – needed because, at the request of the council, the school took on an extra number of pupils thus saving many of them from having to make long journeys to other schools in other parts of the city.
As to the school not being an asset to the community. Cockburn is now one of the top 2% of best performing schools in the country, not just in Yorkshire, and the community should count itself fortunate to have a school which is so beneficial to the local children of south Leeds. The Headteacher of the school, contrary to those moaners who think “it was the school what (sic) had the council in their back pockets on this spineless isn’t the word…” – comment by Clare Magee – can be assured that he and the rest of the staff are too busy ensuring that the young people of Beeston get a first class education to be concerned with the whereabouts of councillors. If residents are unhappy with their representatives then there is of course the ballot box.
And finally, regarding complaints, as the ever-present Suzy Grace has said “..only in Beeston some might say…” Yes Suzy, some might say that only in Beeston would a resident be so averse to the successful education and safety of its children.
Can I just say to the representative of Cockburn above that if Cockburn was such a good school, how come the bus stop on the Ring Road is regularly vandalised by it’s rowdy pupils? Proof being on the number of exclusion excuse stickers from the school on the shelter windows for a start.
Perhaps you could address your complaints to the parents of these children. After all, it is their responsibility outside school hours – or would you prefer parents to take no responsibility for the behaviour of their offspring, and expect teachers not only to teach but to do the parenting as well?
The path was not part of the golf course there was a large hedge and lots of trees densely dividing the hedge from the golf course. I personally used the path a lot and yes definitaly people used to park up near the kennels and cut through on the path to get to the sports centre and cool down coming back. Also on a night a lot of small groups used to exercise by doing woodland walks with this path being part of it. If you came from the area you would also know that that cobbled path was part of the cross country run for middleton county secondary school finishing at Arthur Thornton field. (opposite the school). As well as being part of the cross country run for Parkside school. I can never remember any broken legs. Obviously photographers used to use that and the golf course/meadow and the save our golf course site is full of photos that I assure you did not take themselves. The path was not overgrown but obviously is now because nobody has been able to use it and I can show you films of my dog running on it at the time the school started to destroy the hedge and trees. Photographic evidence before AI is proof even for you Im sure.
Hello, I am a jogger, and have definitely jogged up the cobbled path many, many times. Still do.
I agree with everything Wendy says.
Unfortunately once again the needs of the local residents are not listened to, they say the cobbled path was closed due to safety concerns yet police report show no reports of concern on that cobbled path, the children literally have to cross a 4ft path between the school and the toxic playing field I’m sure this doesnt warrant closing a well used bridle way and an alternative situation could have been sought. As for comments about the golf course not being good for wildlife well it was the many trees and bushes were a haven for wildlife as well as the hedgerow surrounding it which has mostly been destroyed by the new developments at the school. And as for caring about the wellbeing of the pupils we are often seeing them running out and between traffic on the local streets and seeing them fighting but when we raise our concerns nothing is done.