Parish Council Winter Newsletter November 2022

Remembrance Day

On Sunday 13th November, Harewood Parish Council held a short ceremony at the village War Memorial as usual to commemorate and give thanks to the men and women of Harewood who have given their lives in the service of our country. The ceremony was led by Cllr. Dr Kate Hill (Chair of Harewood Parish Council) and Cllr. Doug Masterton (Vice Chair). A wreath was laid by Cllr. Dan Suckall. We also remembered all those whose lives have been ended or blighted by conflict with special relevance this year for the people of The Ukraine.

Representatives from Harewood and Wigton Moor attended.

Thank you to everyone who joined us on this occasion and especially to Margaret Sutcliffe for her wonderful poppy displays that adorn the Memorial Garden and make the event extra special.

Christmas Lights

This year’s Christmas lights switch-on will take place at 4pm on Friday 2 December. In response to popular demand your Parish Council has funded Christmas lights in two additional sites:  Harewood Avenue on the A659 and Slaid Hill by the parade of shops on Wike Ridge Lane. Lights will also be located on the A61 near the Harewood Arms and at High Ash Drive, Wigton Moor by the shops and United Reform Church.

Warm spaces

Many people are struggling with the recent substantial increases in prices for gas and electricity. Keeping warm at home is causing hardship to many in our communities so a number of organisations are creating ‘warm spaces’ where there is a welcome for those seeking warmth and company during the current difficult days. Most venues offer hot drinks and free wifi and phone charging. Some also offer reasonably priced hot meals. The nearest warm spaces in our area are located at:

• Bardsey, Callister Hall
• Wetherby Town Hall, Deighton Room.
• Moor Allerton Community Hub and Library at the Moor Allerton Centre
• Moortown Baptist Church, 204 King Lane
• Chapel Allerton Library, 106 Harrogate Road, Moortown
• MAECARE, Moor Allerton

Details of all venues can be found on the Leeds City Council website:

Warm spaces in Leeds

Traffic Issues

Harewood Parish Council recently commissioned Leeds Council to install speed warning cameras on the road through Wike. These devices advise motorists of their speed and encourage them to respect the 30mph speed limit through the small hamlet. They also provide a record of vehicle speeds but not the registration numbers as they do not have a camera attached and are not intended for enforcement of the law. The first sets of data that we downloaded from the Wike cameras were alarming. The majority of vehicles passing through the hamlet considerably exceed the speed limit of 30mph. One vehicle in July was logged at 83mph. The general situation is dangerous as the road is narrow, twisting, there are no pavements and housing is close by.  Details are shown in the table below.  The Parish Council will continue to monitor the data.

Your councillors have reported this situation at the local Police and Community Together Meeting (PACT) for the Wetherby area.  The Police Officers present at the PACT were sympathetic but explained that the layout of the road in Wike presents problems with siting a speed trap. There is no space or layby where a camera vehicle can be safely and visibly located. We hope the speed indicator devices will contribute to some lowering of vehicle speeds through Wike. Councillors will request that consideration be given to the installation of an automatic enforcement camera on Wike Ridge Lane.

Councillors continue to press Leeds Council to re-position the speed indicator devices in Harewood village for better effectiveness. We also continue to request that the device on The Avenue approaching the traffic light is made fully operational but so far, no progress has been made.

Malt Kiln Lane Speed Bumps

Harewood Parish Council and Harewood Estate have been presented with a petition requesting the removal of the three round top speed bumps on Malt Kiln Lane and their replacement with two cushioned bumps. The petition carried 105 signatures.

While the Parish Council appreciate that the speed bumps cause minor inconvenience to some drivers on the lane, our primary concern is pedestrian safety.  Malt Kiln Lane is narrow with high hedging either side and carries a public footpath. Residents on the lane, their visitors and service providers have permissive rights of access for vehicles, as well as the local farmers, gas and telecommunications services.  The Parish Council has vehicular access rights for disabled drivers and maintenance vehicles only. The lane is too narrow to provide a pavement to separate pedestrians from traffic.

We do not accept that the bumps are badly designed, unnecessarily severe or damaging to vehicles.  They were installed within the standard specification for a 5mph limit and can be negotiated without damage provided 5mph is not exceeded.  Nor are they an eyesore.  Planning consent for the recreation area required the use of natural materials or to match existing.  Malt Kiln Lane is surfaced with tarmac and the bumps are in keeping with the existing surface. Similar style and specification of speed bumps can be found on the access road to Leeds Grammar School.

Department of Transport guidance supports the need for three bumps to maintain safe speeds along the length of the lane from the A61 to the entrance to the recreation area and the proposed cushioned bumps (rubberised plastic) alternatives are neither environmentally friendly nor are they effective unless installed at 75mm (5 to 10mm higher than the existing bumps).

It is regrettable that a number of people find the bumps offensive but planning approval for the recreation area stipulated that the Parish Council had to demonstrate that safe access could be achieved, and speed bumps were the solution agreed with the planners. However, we recognise the concern caused to parishioners and will continue discussions to explore any viable alternatives.

Liaison with Shadwell Parish Council

The boundary of Harewood (see Parish Map) includes areas on the north side of Holywell Lane in Shadwell. Harewood Council is consulted on planning applications for properties along Holywell Lane although these lie within the Shadwell village community. Following a meeting with Shadwell Parish Council it has been agreed that we will liaise with them over planning applications that may have a significant impact on the residents of Shadwell and to exchange perspectives on proposed developments.

Shadwell Council is also concerned to safeguard and maintain public footpaths and there are some that cross the Parish boundaries of Shadwell and Harewood. The footpath from Wike to Bridle Path Road in Shadwell is of particular concern as there is currently no clarity about the ownership of the land and access may become difficult without maintenance.

Joint application for funding to maintain footpaths where necessary is likely to be more successful and Councillors have agreed to explore this together. It was also agreed that both Councils would continue to press for improvements to the infrequent and unreliable bus services that serve Wigton Moor and Shadwell.

Our Caretaker

Harewood Parish Council is delighted to announce the appointment of a caretaker for the recreation area in Maltkin Lane. Local resident Caroline Dale has been appointed following our advertisement. Caroline has voluntarily cared for the flower tubs in Bondgate and is an enthusiastic gardener. We welcome her to the service of our community and hope that residents will support and help her with her responsibilities.

Sharing the news

Please tell your friends and neighbours about our newsletter. They can easily subscribe on the Parish Council web site: www.harewoodparishcouncil.gov.uk or by sending an email to vicechair@harewoodparishcouncil.gov.uk

Don't forget to include your name and email address.

You are receiving this newsletter as you provided us with your email address in order to receive news and information from Harewood Parish Council.

If you wish to unsubscribe, please send an email to vicechair@harewoodparishcouncil.gov.uk and we will remove your address from our list. Please be assured we do not share your contact details with anyone and we will only send you information relevant to parish or city council business.