Recreation Area

Harewood Parish Council’s fantastic new playground opened officially at 11:00 on Saturday 31 July. Village residents, parents and children came to celebrate the event. Our local MP the Rt Hon Alec Shelbrooke and Leeds City Councillors Ryan Stephenson and Sam Firth were also there together with five Parish Councillors.

The children cut the ribbon and declared the playground open on behalf of the Parish Council. Then they all dashed off to find the hidden nests with chocolate eggs before starting to explore the new play equipment. The children’s playground has lots of fun activities.  There are swings and an activity trail leading to the fabulous climbing frame with slide.

For the adults, the tennis court is now fully functional but the fitness training equipment has been delayed by production problems (mainly due to Covid) and will be installed in the Autumn. Use of the tennis court is free and we are not planning to introduce a booking system for the tennis court at present but we ask you to be considerate. If you have been playing for 30mins or more, and other players are waiting, please finish your current game and allow the next players to use the court.

The recreation area is provided by Harewood Parish Council as a village amenity. It is free to use and will be maintained and inspected regularly but we also need your help to ensure that the facility is used correctly and kept clean. To this end, please would you:

• Take your litter home or deposit it in one of the two bins provided
• Be aware that dogs are not allowed in the playground or the adult recreation area.
• Report any damage or deterioration of the equipment, gates or fencing to the Parish Clerk 07587 202613
• Report any anti-social behaviour or vandalism immediately to the Police using the non-emergency number 101 and to the Parish Clerk on the number above.

Malt Kiln Lane is a footpath. Pedestrians have right of way and only authorised vehicles are permitted to use the lane. The single exception to this is that two disabled parking spaces have been provided at the playground. Cars using these spaces must always display a blue badge.

Speed bumps have been installed on Malt Kiln Lane to protect pedestrians. Authorised vehicles must reduce their speed to 5 mph.

The recreation area is open to everyone, but please consider using the bus if you are travelling from outside the village because there is limited parking available. The village hall car park fills up quickly especially at the weekend and parking at the Harewood Arms is reserved for customers only.

Parking survey

The Parish Council conducted an on-line parking survey in June this year, which has given us useful information for our discussions with officers and Councillors in Leeds about the problems that are experienced by residents. The survey was conducted when Covid restrictions were in place and the village was a popular destination for those wanting a walk in the countryside. You can read the full survey report on the Parish Council web site and by using the link below.

Parking Survey Report

Speed signs in Harewood

The Council recently purchased a moveable sign and placed it at two different locations on the roads approaching Harewood village. Comments from a number of residents suggest that it has been welcomed.

The sign was first located at the top of Harewood Bank, facing traffic approaching from the direction of Harrogate. It has now been moved to Harewood Avenue on the approach to the village from the Collingham direction. Our plan is that the sign will be moved regularly with the intention of maintaining its impact when it pops up in different positions.

We continue to press Leeds City Council to repair and reposition the two speed indicator devices in Harewood. Unfortunately, Leeds City Council Highways, in common with many Council departments, have been under pressure from staff shortages due to Covid and reductions in funding due to the budget deficit. We hope to report progress with this issue before too long.

Speed signs in Wike

The Council has also acted to provide speed indicator devices for the village of Wike and we have commissioned Leeds City Council Highways department to install them. They will be situated on Backstone Gill Lane and Wike Ridge Lane, to warn drivers of their speed as they approach from East Keswick or Slaid Hill.

Speed limit in Weardley

It seems inexplicable that the national speed limit of 60mph applies on the road through the hamlet of Weardley. The road is narrow and has no pavements for the many walkers that use it to link up footpaths in the area. It is frequently used by traffic as an alternative route to Leeds and Harewood Parish Council has been pressing for a 30 mph speed limit since 2017.

This has been agreed in principle by Leeds but implementation is being held up by objections to speed limit proposals in other areas of the city that are slowing down the process of regulation. The Parish Council will continue to press for resolution of this matter.

Bus stop information signs

Some time ago, the Council urged the West Yorkshire Combined Authority which is responsible for transport matters to install electronic information signs at the bus stops in Harewood village and also at the terminus bus stop by the shops in High Ash Drive. We are pleased that the stone shelter bus stop in Harewood (for buses towards Harrogate) now has a sign showing buses en route and the timetable for subsequent services. We have requested a similar sign for buses towards Leeds but are informed that underground utilities make appropriate siting of a pole for the sign more difficult on the Leeds-bound carriageway. We will keep lobbying for a solution.

The case for a sign at the bus stop in High Ash Drive is harder to make. The service is less frequent than the 36 bus and runs hourly in the daytime only. Regular bus users have pointed out that if infrequent services are cancelled it can be very inconvenient, and it would be helpful to know if a bus is expected or not. One of the disincentives to use buses is lack of confidence in the reliability of the service.

Do you have Green Fingers?

Many villages and parishes around the country pride themselves on their vibrant floral displays in summertime, with hanging baskets on lampposts and railings. The flower baskets at Collingham have prompted several residents to suggest that similar displays would look well on the railings by the bus stop in Harewood and at the Wigton Moor crossroads. You may be able to suggest other sites too.

Planting and maintaining floral displays requires dedicated enthusiasts whose voluntary efforts enhance their communities. Harewood Parish Council will support groups or individuals interested in brightening up the Parish with planters or hanging baskets. We have previously supported a local resident to plant and maintain the flower tubs in Bondgate but these planters are now looking for a new gardener to keep them looking good. We budget each year for community projects like this. If you are keen to get involved to make the Parish look more colourful, consider applying for a grant.

Full details on making a grant application can be found on the Parish Council web site. Use the link below.

Grants

Sharing the news

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