Walking along Domestic Street in Holbeck for the last couple of weeks took me back to the days when I was a kid living in the Tilbury’s (1950s/1960s).
Very regularly, I used to go to the swimming baths on Holbeck Lane, across Domestic Street and down ‘Stink Bomb Alley’. I spent many enjoyable hours in the two swimming pools having learnt to swim there. In those days, Domestic Street was a busy focal point for many people living in the district. There was a shop on every street corner and you could do most of your shopping there, a long time before supermarkets were ever thought of. There was some traffic that used the road (horse and carts, trams, buses, motor vehicles) but it was far, far less than we see today.
The thing that struck me was how much more peaceful it was on Domestic Street since the temporary road closure: no more road congestion; much less pollution; ease of crossing the road; better access to the local businesses; improved road transport for residents. It occurred to me that having seen the impact of the closure on the environment it could be worthwhile closing off the road permanently in some way. I believe it would especially benefit the local residents and would help in the regeneration of the area.
Perhaps our council and councillors would like to consider if this is feasible. What do you think?
This post was written by Steve Peacock using our Create an article for South Leeds Life page.
Thank you for this article.
When in use, Domestic Street is way too over used for an area that people have homes in. Its little more than a motorway feeder road to road users. To those who live locally, its their home.
Domestic Street is not wide for the amount of traffic that passes through, the pollution and the speed they go is an accident waiting to happen. It is a nightmare for the local homes on Domestic Street. Holbeck needs a good clean up, so get your fingers out Leeds city council.