Update on parking and traffic issues
Traffic issues persist at times in Harewood village and with the arrival of warmer weather we can expect more difficulties.
Two years ago, we arranged the installation of speed warning displays at the entrance to the village on the A659 from Collingham and on the A61 facing traffic coming from Leeds. These were commissioned from Leeds City Council but have not lived up to our expectations. Neither device was placed in the best strategic position to alert speeding traffic and the one on the A659 has never worked. We were also supplied with software to download traffic data from the signs. This too has never functioned. All our approaches to Leeds traffic engineers and to local Councillors have failed to resolve these issues.
Additionally, we commissioned two more speed warning displays to be sited in Wike to try and reduce the excessive speed of some vehicles along Wike Ridge Lane and Backstone Gill Lane. We are still awaiting their installation and again our efforts to progress this matter with Leeds have not been successful. We understand the pressure that local government has faced during the Covid pandemic, so we are being patient but we will continue to follow-up on these issues.
Parking problems are still occurring in Church Lane, The Avenue, Spring Gardens and Bondgate. Leeds City Council is to create additional parking bays in Bondgate using part of the grassed area that is in its ownership. The Parish Council has also discussed the provision of residents' only parking along Bondgate and other areas in the village, as well as the wider use of double yellow lines. This is not a panacea as prohibiting parking in one place may move the problem elsewhere. Many motorists believe they are alleviating the problem by parking wholly or partly on the pavement, and there are times when parked vehicles turn The Avenue into single-lane road. While it is not illegal to park on the pavement here (unlike London), it is illegal to cause an obstruction. If the pavement is restricted to the extent that it cannot be used by persons in wheelchairs or pushing prams then an offence has taken place. If you are inconvenienced in this way, we would suggest that you photograph the vehicle concerned in situ (including its registration), note the exact details – time, date and location and inform the West Yorkshire Police using this link:
Report nuisance / obstructive parking | West Yorkshire Police
Please note that offences relating to yellow line parking, etc can also be notified to Leeds City Council using this web site.
We have discussed other measures with Leeds Councillors including the provision of more visible ‘No Through Road’ signage for Bondgate and Church Lane, and reinstatement of the bollards that prevent vehicles driving on the footpath from the village hall car park to Bondgate.
If you have other ideas on what can be done to alleviate parking or speeding problems, please write and tell us; we are always pleased to hear Parish residents' views.
We have had to say a sad farewell to our impromptu but well received banner sign asking motorists to drive carefully through our village. Unfortunately, Parish Councils are not authorised to put up road signage and we were obliged to remove it. |
