Suspension of site due to lack of interest and support.

The first 'post' on this site was back in 2009, this was 5 years after our campaign had been started.  At the time there was significant local interest and support, however, and in spite of requests for individuals to get involved, active interest disappeared some while ago.   Nothing whatsoever has been done by councillors or MPs to address either the speeding problem or the HGV traffic issue, both of which are considerably worse now than back in 2004.  One or two individuals complaining is of no concern to our elected representatives, nor as we have seen to the 'jobsworth' council officers tasked with dealing with such matters.

Anyone wishing to get involved with a view to resurrecting the campaign should contact Ian, email address lawrrag@gmail.com 

Jackanory Time - Lib Dems

It's coming up to local election time when the prospective political parties will be posting their campaign blurb.  The Liberal Democrats have been quick off the mark and we were intrigued to see the claims made about 'Tackling Speeding' (WHERE?), and 'Supporting local groups' (WHICH?):

The LAWRRAG campaign is the longest running campaign in the area and although Lib Dem Councillor Golton is fully aware of the campaign having been 'involved' in the early years, the Lib Dems have done nothing to 'tackle' the speeding we have campaigned about for 13 years, and Councillor Golton hasn't responded to email correspondence with LAWRRAG for a number of years, let alone offered any support.

Staggering Hypocrisy from Labour councillor!

LAWRRAG is a non-political group and at various stages during the past 13 years  representatives from each of the three main political parties have been involved, each always being quick to blame the 'opposition' for their lack of any action. A typical example of this can be seen below 'Lib Dems - Soft on Speeding', put out by Karen Bruce, then a Labour Party campaigner.  Given that since this first appeared we have a Labour led council, and that two out of the three Ward councillors are Labour members this really does take the biscuit!

Traffic Monitoring November 2017 - 13th anniversary!

As a result of traffic monitoring cables having been installed across the carriageway in various locations along the A639 and A642, this month, the following email has been sent to the Ward councillors, copied to our MP, and the Highways representative from Leeds City Council:   

Councillors

With reference to the traffic monitoring (cables across the carriageway) taking place on the A639 it has been pointed out that yet again the siting of the monitoring equipment on Leeds Hill is not in the optimum location and if the monitoring is for speed measurement, then the results will not be truly representative of the traffic speeds reached along Leeds Hill, and will show lower maximum speeds.  To record the speeds that are being reached the monitoring equipment should be closer to the middle of this stretch of road, as has been proven in the past.

NO action being taken about traffic speeds along the A639/A642

At a recent meeting (7 Feb.2017) with two of the local councillors, and representatives from Leeds City Council Highways Department, and the Police, it was confirmed that the Council was unable to do anything further in connection with traffic speeds, and that West Yorkshire Casualty Reduction Partnership was responsible for the introduction of cameras, fixed and mobile:

What are the criteria for getting new cameras installed in West Yorkshire?

These have changed over the years but since April 2009 we have been working to the following conditions based on the number of accidents where someone is Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) and a points system where each KSI accident scores 5 points and slight injury accidents score 1. Fixed camera lengths automatically qualify for mobile enforcement as well and both can be used together.

Traffic NOISE and health

From day one of the campaign the number one complaint from local residents has been the problem of night time noise, some from speeding traffic but primarily noise from HGV traffic, (some of which is also speeding).  Reference to government Planning and Transport policy guidelines, on keeping HGV traffic away from residential areas, particularly through the night is to be found elsewhere on this site.  All of this has been brought to the attention of councillors and MP alike, many times over and has been ignored.  The health issues associated with traffic noise and disturbed sleep are well researched and documented.  The following is just a small snippet of what can be found on the World Health Organisation website:

An Outsider's View

For those interested in such things there is a wonderful series of old Ordnance Survey maps published by Alan Godfrey Maps (www.alangodfreymaps.co.uk). Each map  includes a commentary upon the area and it's history. The following is an extract from the Oulton 1905 map, published in 2016, with the commentary by Alan Godfrey dated May 2016:

Click on image to view

"Oulton's undoubted charms today are marred by it's traffic". An Outsider's view.

Elsewhere in the Leeds area

Late with this one but below is an article that appeared in the Yorkshire Evening Post about measures being taken in Adel and Wharfedale, with reference to the 'Wellbeing Fund'.

Click on image to view

2017 - YEAR 13 - Resumption of service

As we move into year 13 with still no sign of intent upon the part of those elected to serve the community to resolve the speeding traffic and HGV issues blighting the area, it has been decided to resume this blog site and remind concerned residents of who said or 'promised' what, what has happened so far, and what we action we can look forward to in the future. 

May 2016 Update

The day of local elections, and the eve of broken promises! 

There will undoubtedly be 'support' for the LAWRRAG campaign from whoever the councillors are for the next 12 months.  The one thing the campaign hasn't gone short of since 2004 is 'support' from councillors and MPs alike.  'Action' on the other hand, which is the thing that is needed, has been non-existent apart from one elected individual who did more than his fair share but came up against the might of petty bureaucracy, and arrogance from non-elected council officers.  The writer attended many meetings with this individual and can confirm that he genuinely did care and did try, which is more than can be said for any councillor or MP since.

The simple fact is that the campaign started in 2004 and things are worse now that they were back then!  For those of us working in the real world this is FAILURE, our elected representatives (those that still communicate with us) seem to believe that as long as meetings are held every few months then progress is being made!

It is interesting to see that one local councillor is a candidate for the position of West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner (and may well be that person by 6 May 2016).  That councillor is aware that every day the law is being broken by thousands of motorists speeding along the A639/A642 and yet has done nothing to deal with this!

Money for old rope!

Local History website

Just an unashamed plug for a fascinating and extremely comprehensive guide to the ‘history’, and the characters of Woodlesford, and Oulton:

http://www.woodlesfordstation.co.uk

There is a tenuous link with road traffic in that if you follow the links to the Oulton Gala YouTube video you'll see Aberford Road quieter than you've ever seen it before!

More HGV traffic?

This could be a long way off ... it might never happen (pigs might fly), but it is worth considering what the HGV traffic impact on the area will be if either or both of the proposed incinerator sites are built, at the former Skelton Grange power station site.  See the article below from the Yorkshire Evening Post, Saturday 11 August 2012.

Click on image to view

Forget the general environmental impact upon the area, this is the 'dumping ground' of Leeds, it will happen.  We need our councillors to make sure the potential traffic problem is dealt with ... and not listen to the usual half-wits proclaiming that there won't be any impact.

Two years wasted!

We first posted about this back in April 2010, and it now looks as though planning approval for the development of a 100 acre business park and distribution centre, just across the M62 is all-but 'rubber stamped'.
  
Setting aside the arguments about the loss of greenbelt land, and the need for a new stadium for Wakefield Wildcats rugby club, the traffic impact upon our area could be massive!  The transport plan supporting the planning application points to the proximity of the M62, and the M1, implying that this will be the main route for all heavy traffic. This same argument was probably put forward in the case of the major distribution developments at Stourton, notably ARLA, and the Royal Mail, and highways personnel, in answer to our concerns about the East Leeds link road, stated that there would not be any traffic impact upon the A639/A642, as a result of that road opening - THERE IS!


In the July edition of the Rothwell and District Record, Councillor Golton is reported as having said:


"This is obviously a very disappointing decision for local residents." .........
"I have no issue with the stadium element of the plan and I sympathise with the Wildcats' need to secure the future of their club.  But I remain very concerned about the effect that a haulage distribution centre and business park will have about the congestion that this will cause in the area" 

WELL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT THEN! 


  

It can, and does, happen!

We're a little late with this one, it is an article from the YEP, 23 June 2012 about the success of a campaign by schoolchildren in Cookridge to have the speed limit 'slashed' to 20mph.  'Well done' to them.  We have never asked for a speed reduction, just an enforcement of the current speed limit, but what this does show is that some members of the public are listened to, and that some councillors (appear to) take action on behalf of their local communities. 

click to view

Far from a reduction in the speed limit along the A639/A642, Leeds City council highways personnel suggested increasing the limit! 


With regard to what if anything is happening around Royds School, interested parties will have to check with the local councillors, who took it upon themselves to deal with traffic and road safety issues that were of concern to the school ... 7 years ago. 

Political Irony?

It seems that it is OK to acknowledge that passing HGVs and other trucks might keep people awake at night ...  IF you are using it for poltical means, as may be seen in this letter that appears in this month's Rothwell and District Record, from Councillor Stewart Golton:

(Double click to view clearly)

We have been asking to Cllr Golton to do something about the existing problem of disturbance from night time HGV traffic for years now but clearly the complaints of local residents are of no consequence!

Online Petition - Press coverage

The following article appeared in the Yorkshire Evening Post, 30 May 2012. Double click to view:

Click here to add your support

WHAT IS GOING ON!

It's almost 12 months since we reported on the meeting held with Karen Bruce (11 June 2011), and it really did look then as though we might just somewhere.  Then on 19 December 2011 we posted a comment from our MP, Alec Shelbrooke, confiming that the installation of speed cameras is at the discretion of the local authority.  It is now 25 May 2012 and what has happened?  NOTHING!

For the motorists amongst us who travel in and around Leeds, speed cameras are a reasonably common occurence, what makes the local residents of those areas more important than us?  THEY ARE BETTER SUPPORTED BY THEIR LOCAL COUNCILLORS, & MPs!

LAWRRAG has no political affiliations, we've had many years of hot air and inaction from Liberal Democrats councillors, and a Labour MP, we've had verbal support from a Labour Councillor, and a Conservative MP, but that's all!

New Online Petition - Please sign

Many thanks to Mark for setting up this online petition, please take the time to add your name:

Click here to add your support.

Thank you.

Latest communication with our MP

This is quite an interesting response from Alec Shelbrooke MP. Whether what he is stating has come about as a result of recent changes I don't know, but we have been told on several occasions that the council does not have any responsibility for speeding, nor does it have any powers to do anything about it.

There's nothing to suggest that any action will be taken, but it does put a different complexion upon things.

"............ I have spoken with colleagues in the Department for Transport this week to get some clarification on this for you.

Under the previous Government, local authorities received funding from central government specifically for speed cameras. This is no longer the case.

Ministers state that local authorities, police and safer road partnerships can still use speed cameras if they wish – however, Ministers will not mandate either the installation or decommissioning of speed cameras. I understand that it is up to these organisations to decide whether to install or decommission speed cameras, and how to use their own funding in this area.

The Government is clear that local government needs increased flexibility to take decisions locally to deliver the solutions that suit them best. Through removing ring-fencing of budgets, I understand that local authorities are now free to determine their own spending priorities and to make decisions on how to achieve cost savings.

If you have been told by Council officers that the Government now prevent them from installing speed cameras then this is incorrect and I would hope that Cllr Bruce would be able to look into this and see than in future only correct information is relayed."

Back to square one!

Recent posts have made mention of a meeting with Karen Bruce, and possibly a Leeds City Council executive board member. Unfortunately we are being asked for the umpteenth time to spell out what the problems are, and what it is we hope to acheive. For the casual observer this might seem to be a minor irritation, but what it effectively means is that inspite of 6 years of campaigning, nothing we have said or done has registered.