A Trolleybus question and answer session was held at Belle Isle Family Centre yesterday (1st May).
I went to this session as the new Trolleybus route (if the plans are passed) will come down my street, Winrose Grove. I was surprised by the lack of local people at the event.
Winrose Grove is a very narrow street, even with chicanes to allow traffic to come up the street, while traffic waits to come down.
The trolleybus route is from Holt Park, to Belle Isle & back again. At the south Leeds end, the trolley bus will come along Hunslet Road and up Church Street. As far as I can understand, it then comes through the Whitefield estate going through St Joseph’s primary school, which presumably will have to be knocked down. Eventually the Trolleybus goes up Balm Road and Belle Isle Road to Belle Isle Circus.
At Belle Isle Circus, it seems the trolley bus cannot turn sharp left down Winrose Grove, so will cut across the grass on Belle Isle Circus, before turning left down my street. So a lot of this grass will go on the circus and maybe some trees. The Trolleybus will then turn left down Winrose Grove. At the bottom of Winrose Grove will cross Middleton Ring Road and go to a Park & Ride Scheme at Stourton.
If the Trolleybus scheme goes ahead, car traffic, taxis, vans, etc will not be able to go down Winrose Grove, from Belle Isle Circus. They will have to find another way into the street. As will residents who want to get into the street and park outside their flat or house.
There are over 100 sheltered housing residents on this street, so major difficulties will arise as on one side of the street, mine, you will not be able to park your car here as it involves using the parking laybys for the bus.
Also whilst they are building the overhead wires, no traffic will be allowed down the street. elderly residents will have to park elsewhere and carry their shopping to sheltered housing flats, which will be very difficult.
If you want to know more check out the web site www.ngtmetro.com or phone 0113 251 7421.
This article was written by Kenneth Ingram using our Community Reporters website
This will be a massive boost for the area. It needs better connections to the city! Not that much of the grass will go, and there are plenty of new trees to be planted on the circus and Belle Isle Rd. There are plenty of parking spaces still available, and Winrose Grove as a whole is very wide!
Thanks for that John. That’s not what they were saying last Wednesday.
Although I believe when I spoke to one of the councillors at another meeting on Thursday (Belle Isle in Bloom), that Council will not allow tram to come across Circus.
If you have been down Winrose Grove you will know its not very wide.
I had an email from NGT, saying that only some land will go from St Joseph’s School.
The school will not be demolished.
I don’t know if this is an afterthought on NGT’s part.
I was only going from what one of their staff told me at the time, that the School would have to be demolished and I wrote down the quotes at the time.
Anyway I’m happy to leave this comment that the school will not to be demolished and only school land will be taken.