Elland Road: Park and ride approved

Elland Road Park and RideSo the park and ride off Elland Road has received the go ahead after all.

The Leeds Citizen blog was there and reports city councillors today approved the plans 11-1.

The proposals were for a 425-space main car park, with 15 dedicated disabled spaces and an overspill area for another 375 cars, built on ‘Car Park D’ at Elland Road – the car park nearest the railway line. The site is opposite the new West Yorkshire Police HQ, due to be completed in mid-2014, and the plot is shared with the site of a proposed ice rink, due to open towards the end of 2014.

The decision comes despite local opposition from residents, most notably the Beeston Forum group, and local councillors Angela Gabriel and David Congreve.

Their concerns included extra traffic in the area and more pollution. Some argued the park and ride isn’t far enough out from the city centre to be successful. Other concerns include the overall impact of the scheme on nearby residents.

The only vote against came from Farnley and Wortley Green Party councillor David Blackburn, who said:

“I cannot support this – it is the wrong scheme in the wrong place. It should have been out at Tingley or Gildersome. We are just going to cause more congestion.”

Planning officers argued commuters will be signposted towards the site from the west via the ‘Cemetery Gates’ junction that links the outer ring road to the M621 at Junction 2, rather than past houses along Elland Road itself, minimising the impact on local residents. The bus services running from the park and ride would be ‘greener’ than older buses.

Read the full report on Leeds Citizen.

4 Replies to “Elland Road: Park and ride approved”

  1. It would be good to see a rail station put in here instead of using buses. Hopefully it will be the first of many, may have been a better idea to build this on the site of the proposed trolley buses’ south route terminus.

  2. If the council think that sending traffic via the junction near B&amp Q they have obviously never been to Aldi to do their shopping on a Saturday and I don’t mean when Leeds United are at home.

    And furthermore if the people parking their cars are disabled how will they be able to get on a bus, there is only room for 1 pushchair or wheelchair per bus.

  3. Wrong site for people travelling from the west or the south – not to mention the east or the north!! Cllr Blackburn is quite right…

    It will be interesting to learn what local benefits there are for Beeston &amp Holbeck from the Section 106 agreement…

  4. As a younger part of the South Leeds area I think that they are building a car park… on top of an existing car park.

    I don’t think this is right for the site.

    As well as the Valentines fair, that has been going to that site for as long as I can remember. Where would it go then? It’s an annual thing that many people enjoy to go to each year.

    Why build an ice rink when people look forward to it coming once a year in millennium square. An ice rink is unnecessary at the site.

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