The mobile speed camera lay-by on Leeds Hill is at last being used. Who decides when it is used is not known, and whether it is only mointoring traffic in one direction is also not known. Nobody has told us anything about it.
When the van is in place it does have an impact upon traffic speeds, vehicles can be seen decelerating rapidly when the drivers realise that the van is there. Perhaps this could be a solution in itself - buy a cheap van, mark it up as a Police van, and just leave it parked there all day?
It is to be hoped that the van is used at times other than those witnessed by the writer, one Friday evening around 6.30pm, and one Monday evening around 8.30pm, when the traffic volumes, and overall problem is lessened. Time will tell, if monitoring at these times will lead the police to claim that there isn't really a problem ............ as they have done in the past.
Tuesday 24 August 2010
Friday 13 August 2010
Invitation from the Rothwell Record
In response to the following query sent by the writer to the Rothwell Record:
It occurred to me that over 3 months have gone by since the ‘lay-by’ issue was raised. Just a thought - as a follow up it would be good to find out from Stewart Golton how often the police have used the lay-by, what the results have been, and what a worthwhile investment it has all been - I think we all know the answer! The term ‘as much use as a chocolate fire guard’ springs to mind (take your pick as to what I’m referring to!).
The deputy editor replied:
I have chased this issue up today but am unable to get hold of Stewart at the present time. I will keep trying but in the meantime do you have anything to add? What do the members of Lawrrag think? (I can guess!) Would anyone be happy to comment or maybe write a letter (name and address can be withheld!)
This is good opportunity to keep matters in the public eye and, unlike our emails, the Rothwell Record is read by the local councillors.
We will make mention of the support from Alec Shelbrooke MP, and it would be beneficial to have the opinions of other supporters, even if these are only 'one-liners'. Please note that names and addresses can be withheld.
This is a great opportunity to say how you feel about the speeding, the HGV traffic, the councillors involvement, etc etc. Please consider giving an opinion, no matter how short, and email it to lawrrag@googlemail.com by Tuesday 17th August.
Until the councillors accept that there are or more than a handful of people complaining it remains an uphill battle.
It occurred to me that over 3 months have gone by since the ‘lay-by’ issue was raised. Just a thought - as a follow up it would be good to find out from Stewart Golton how often the police have used the lay-by, what the results have been, and what a worthwhile investment it has all been - I think we all know the answer! The term ‘as much use as a chocolate fire guard’ springs to mind (take your pick as to what I’m referring to!).
The deputy editor replied:
I have chased this issue up today but am unable to get hold of Stewart at the present time. I will keep trying but in the meantime do you have anything to add? What do the members of Lawrrag think? (I can guess!) Would anyone be happy to comment or maybe write a letter (name and address can be withheld!)
This is good opportunity to keep matters in the public eye and, unlike our emails, the Rothwell Record is read by the local councillors.
We will make mention of the support from Alec Shelbrooke MP, and it would be beneficial to have the opinions of other supporters, even if these are only 'one-liners'. Please note that names and addresses can be withheld.
This is a great opportunity to say how you feel about the speeding, the HGV traffic, the councillors involvement, etc etc. Please consider giving an opinion, no matter how short, and email it to lawrrag@googlemail.com by Tuesday 17th August.
Until the councillors accept that there are or more than a handful of people complaining it remains an uphill battle.
Tuesday 10 August 2010
Another development warning!
(Double click on image to read text)With apologies to the Rothwell Record, the above article appeared in the August 2010 issue.
The article reports that 555 acres of land is up for sale on our side of the M62, suitable for residential, commercial, or leisure purposes. This land has been on the market before and the huge development then proposed for the site was rejected following substantial opposition.
Having failed once you can rest assured that significant expenditure, and lobbying, will now be going into trying to secure planning consent.
Anyone feeling really strongly about this land going for development should lobby their councillors, and MP. LAWRRAG is about 'traffic', and in this respect the potential traffic impact upon the area would be massive.
It might be considered far too early in the day to be getting concerned about this 555 acres being developed, but the issue is that the more we let the smaller developments within the area go through unchallenged, then the harder it is for any action to be taken about increase car, or HGV volumes, when something like this starts to get off the ground.
The situation is significantly worse than it was 6 years ago, and we've seen how concerned the councillors and the council are about it!
Monday 9 August 2010
Media person wanted
One suggestion that has been made (again) is that Yorkshire Post newspapers might run a feature on how bad the situation has become and what little support there has been from the local councillors.
LAWRRAG has had mention in a positive light in the YP/YEP on a number of occasions in the past and although newspaper stories are short-lived, this has a lot going for it, particularly at the moment:
• There have been recent articles and letters in the YP newspapers about councillor’s payments, and entitlements. ‘Outrage’ seems to be a common thread.
• Local councillor Stewart Golton is now leader of the Lib Dems in Leeds and as such sits on the executive management board of Leeds City Council. (The surprise and bewilderment at this was best dealt with in the 18 June 2010 posting)
If this is to be followed up is there anyone willing/available to contact the Yorkshire Post? Your chance to become the Press Officer. It is our experience that if YP is to run a story they will want a photograph of ‘concerned’ looking residents, do we have volunteers?
LAWRRAG has had mention in a positive light in the YP/YEP on a number of occasions in the past and although newspaper stories are short-lived, this has a lot going for it, particularly at the moment:
• There have been recent articles and letters in the YP newspapers about councillor’s payments, and entitlements. ‘Outrage’ seems to be a common thread.
• Local councillor Stewart Golton is now leader of the Lib Dems in Leeds and as such sits on the executive management board of Leeds City Council. (The surprise and bewilderment at this was best dealt with in the 18 June 2010 posting)
If this is to be followed up is there anyone willing/available to contact the Yorkshire Post? Your chance to become the Press Officer. It is our experience that if YP is to run a story they will want a photograph of ‘concerned’ looking residents, do we have volunteers?
More HGV Traffic?
(Double click on the image to be able to read text) The Yorkshire Evening Post, Saturday 7 August 2010, ran the above article about a proposed waste incinerator development on 'the former Skelton Grange power station site in south-east Leeds near junction 44 of the M1'. This is in addition to the electricity-generating waste plant proposed for Cross Green.
Whether you accept that south-east Leeds should be the dumping ground for the city, county, or the north as a whole, the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of rubbish that are going to be incinerated are going to be taken in by road!
Saturday 7 August 2010
Reply from Alec Shelbrooke MP
It's pleasing to be able to report that Alec Shelbrooke MP responded to our communication the same day it was sent, a far cry from from the approach of the local councillors!
The main body of Alec's reply reads:
"Please forgive me for not getting back to you since the election, I have been a bit overwhelmed and I have got behind on a few things. My efforts to try and get this solved from a Council point of view were not successful at the time, however, I do intend to now lobby Cllr Keith Wakefield, to try and get the HGV ban in place that we spoke about. I will also meet with the Transport minister and try and do some "behind the scenes work".
I'm still with you on this, but I wont really be able to get in with anybody until we get back into the full swing of things in October. I will try and meet Keith Wakefield before then."
Thank you Alec.
The main body of Alec's reply reads:
"Please forgive me for not getting back to you since the election, I have been a bit overwhelmed and I have got behind on a few things. My efforts to try and get this solved from a Council point of view were not successful at the time, however, I do intend to now lobby Cllr Keith Wakefield, to try and get the HGV ban in place that we spoke about. I will also meet with the Transport minister and try and do some "behind the scenes work".
I'm still with you on this, but I wont really be able to get in with anybody until we get back into the full swing of things in October. I will try and meet Keith Wakefield before then."
Thank you Alec.
Tuesday 3 August 2010
Letter to Alec Shelbrooke MP
Dear Alec
It is now six years since the start of our campaign, well documented on our blog site, www.lawrrag.blogspot.com, and one year since you brought along the then Shadow Transport Minister, Robert Goodwill, to meet with us. It is also five and a half years since Leeds City Council heads confirmed that there was a serious problem with speeding along Leeds and Wakefield Roads.
Both Robert Goodwill and yourself were scathing of the ‘efforts’ of Leeds City Council, and our councillors, and supportive of our cause, and indeed you made certain local road safety commitments in your pre-election manifesto.
In the six years that the campaign has run, through equal measures of arrogance and ignorance, Leeds City Council heads, officers, and councillors have simply ignored all government guidelines put in place to protect communities from the issues we face, and have shown nothing but contempt for the rights and concerns of scores of local residents.
The intervening six years have seen traffic volumes rise, average speeds increase, noise levels increase, higher numbers of HGV vehicles, and as of now probably a five-fold increase in the number of night time HGV vehicles speeding through the area. Despite there having been two complaints to the office of Local Government Ombudsman, planning consent continues to be given to major developments that have a direct HGV impact upon the area. There is no reason whatsoever why this traffic shouldn’t be restricted to using the direct motorway links. Prior to the opening of the East Leeds link road we suggested that this would result in even more high speed, and HGV traffic, we were told by the ’experts’ that it wouldn’t ………….. IT HAS!
The things that haven’t changed during the six years are the very guidelines and recommendations cited at day one, put in place to protect communities.
Those of us that read your manifesto and have met with you were probably looking forward to some positive action, however given the governments recent, and frankly unbelievable approach to road safety funding, and the decommissioning of speed (safety) cameras, we appear to be worse off than before!
We have seen that Leeds City Council has no idea of the scale of the problem, and the councillors don’t care. The burning question is:
WHAT AS OUR MP ARE YOU GOING/ABLE TO DO FOR US?
We look forward to you earliest possible response.
We have refrained from sending this to members of the Leeds City Council executive board members as it would simply be passed down the line to one of their excuse mongers (it always has before).
On behalf of LAWRRAG
It is now six years since the start of our campaign, well documented on our blog site, www.lawrrag.blogspot.com, and one year since you brought along the then Shadow Transport Minister, Robert Goodwill, to meet with us. It is also five and a half years since Leeds City Council heads confirmed that there was a serious problem with speeding along Leeds and Wakefield Roads.
Both Robert Goodwill and yourself were scathing of the ‘efforts’ of Leeds City Council, and our councillors, and supportive of our cause, and indeed you made certain local road safety commitments in your pre-election manifesto.
In the six years that the campaign has run, through equal measures of arrogance and ignorance, Leeds City Council heads, officers, and councillors have simply ignored all government guidelines put in place to protect communities from the issues we face, and have shown nothing but contempt for the rights and concerns of scores of local residents.
The intervening six years have seen traffic volumes rise, average speeds increase, noise levels increase, higher numbers of HGV vehicles, and as of now probably a five-fold increase in the number of night time HGV vehicles speeding through the area. Despite there having been two complaints to the office of Local Government Ombudsman, planning consent continues to be given to major developments that have a direct HGV impact upon the area. There is no reason whatsoever why this traffic shouldn’t be restricted to using the direct motorway links. Prior to the opening of the East Leeds link road we suggested that this would result in even more high speed, and HGV traffic, we were told by the ’experts’ that it wouldn’t ………….. IT HAS!
The things that haven’t changed during the six years are the very guidelines and recommendations cited at day one, put in place to protect communities.
Those of us that read your manifesto and have met with you were probably looking forward to some positive action, however given the governments recent, and frankly unbelievable approach to road safety funding, and the decommissioning of speed (safety) cameras, we appear to be worse off than before!
We have seen that Leeds City Council has no idea of the scale of the problem, and the councillors don’t care. The burning question is:
WHAT AS OUR MP ARE YOU GOING/ABLE TO DO FOR US?
We look forward to you earliest possible response.
We have refrained from sending this to members of the Leeds City Council executive board members as it would simply be passed down the line to one of their excuse mongers (it always has before).
On behalf of LAWRRAG