Elmet Greenway proposal
The objective of the Elmet Greenway proposal is to provide as far as possible a traffic free walking, cycling and equestrian route linking the villages of North East Leeds to Crossgates Station.
The New Leeds Cycling Starts Here Strategy was formally approved by Leeds City Council’s Executive Board in June 2017. This followed the public consultation in 2016. It was developed by a range of partners from across the city to promote and develop cycling as a sustainable mode of travel, a sport, and to support the improvement of health and wellbeing across the city.
As part of the strategy, the aspiration for extending the cycle network outwards from the city to provide better connectivity for cycling and walking for community and recreational purposes was raised to the forefront.
One of the route opportunities set out in the strategy is the Elmet Greenway, which could, in parts, follow the route of the former Leeds to Wetherby rail line where the former track bed is still accessible. This offers the potential to provide a quiet and safe countryside cycling, walking and equestrian route connecting the villages of Thorner and Scholes with the Crossgates area of Leeds. Previous feasibility work was commissioned and undertaken on this route in 2007 and updated in 2009, which identified route options and outline costs.
Since this feasibility study was carried out, permission has been obtained for the East Leeds Orbital Road (ELOR), which included new routing and crossing facilities for the proposed greenway at the point they would intersect. The greenway has been identified in the adopted in the Barwick-in-Elmet and Scholes Neighbourhood Plan and a group of volunteers from the local communities has been formed for a number of years and more recently established as a charity to promote and secure delivery of the greenway scheme. It is therefore timely to review and update the previous feasibility work to confirm that this is still a viable link for those communities as part of the strategic network and to engage with a wider range of interested parties as part of this process to ensure all views are heard.
We are inviting residents and visitors to the area to contribute to the feasibility study update and to offer their views regarding the alignment that the route should follow. We would also welcome any thoughts regarding the route and any potential impacts, so that these too can be looked at in full.
It is important to point out at this point that the feasibility study is taking a fresh look at the options and is therefore not tied to any alignment.
Any information sent to us will be anonymised and forwarded on to the contractor carrying out the study for analysis and consideration.
Highways.Greenway@leeds.gov.uk
Highways Greenway
Transport Strategy, Leeds City Council
8th Floor Merrion House
110 Merrion Centre
Leeds
LS2 8BB
Once this study has been completed it will be published and form the basis for any further public engagement.
Please be aware that there is currently no identified funding to deliver this route. This work forms part of ensuring that we have viable and deliverable routes if funding becomes available in the future.
If funding is made available, residents can be assured that further public engagement would be undertaken and be a vital part of any work moving forward.
Background
Elmet Greenway was formally known as the Pendas Way (Route 17 of the Leeds Core Cycle Network).The New Leeds Cycling Starts Here Strategy was formally approved by Leeds City Council’s Executive Board in June 2017. This followed the public consultation in 2016. It was developed by a range of partners from across the city to promote and develop cycling as a sustainable mode of travel, a sport, and to support the improvement of health and wellbeing across the city.
As part of the strategy, the aspiration for extending the cycle network outwards from the city to provide better connectivity for cycling and walking for community and recreational purposes was raised to the forefront.
One of the route opportunities set out in the strategy is the Elmet Greenway, which could, in parts, follow the route of the former Leeds to Wetherby rail line where the former track bed is still accessible. This offers the potential to provide a quiet and safe countryside cycling, walking and equestrian route connecting the villages of Thorner and Scholes with the Crossgates area of Leeds. Previous feasibility work was commissioned and undertaken on this route in 2007 and updated in 2009, which identified route options and outline costs.
Since this feasibility study was carried out, permission has been obtained for the East Leeds Orbital Road (ELOR), which included new routing and crossing facilities for the proposed greenway at the point they would intersect. The greenway has been identified in the adopted in the Barwick-in-Elmet and Scholes Neighbourhood Plan and a group of volunteers from the local communities has been formed for a number of years and more recently established as a charity to promote and secure delivery of the greenway scheme. It is therefore timely to review and update the previous feasibility work to confirm that this is still a viable link for those communities as part of the strategic network and to engage with a wider range of interested parties as part of this process to ensure all views are heard.
We are inviting residents and visitors to the area to contribute to the feasibility study update and to offer their views regarding the alignment that the route should follow. We would also welcome any thoughts regarding the route and any potential impacts, so that these too can be looked at in full.
It is important to point out at this point that the feasibility study is taking a fresh look at the options and is therefore not tied to any alignment.
How to comment
The objective of the Greenway proposal is to provide as far as possible a traffic free walking, cycling and equestrian route linking to Crossgates Station for the villages of North East Leeds. Comments, suggestions and concerns can be submitted by email or post.Any information sent to us will be anonymised and forwarded on to the contractor carrying out the study for analysis and consideration.
Highways.Greenway@leeds.gov.uk
Highways Greenway
Transport Strategy, Leeds City Council
8th Floor Merrion House
110 Merrion Centre
Leeds
LS2 8BB
Once this study has been completed it will be published and form the basis for any further public engagement.
Please be aware that there is currently no identified funding to deliver this route. This work forms part of ensuring that we have viable and deliverable routes if funding becomes available in the future.
If funding is made available, residents can be assured that further public engagement would be undertaken and be a vital part of any work moving forward.
