Aireborough Civic Society

AIRPORT BUS SERVICES 737 & 747: Routes change this Sunday to miss out Queensway and Westfield Areas.
The new routes are on the map. Please make anyone you know who uses the 737 or 747 aware.

Metro has made the changes because the Airport wanted the 747 bus service to go on a more direct route to Bradford to save time – because they say more people will then use it.

Bradford Council want the 747 to call at Apperley Bridge Station so that airport users can catch it there. Aireborough Civic Society objected strongly to the changes. No-one was even consulted locally before these changes were decided. Metro say that bus users living on the Westfield & Queensway will have to walk an extra 10 minutes as part of their ‘compromise’. Not good if you have shopping, luggage or are elderly.

We don’t think there will be any time saving. We don’t think an hourly bus service to Apperley Bridge Station will connect to trains, so the journey time will be longer and more expensive. Therefore, we are sure these changes will lose passengers and encourage more car and taxi use – leading to more congestion for all. We also asked for a delay in the changes as very few passengers are using the Airport now – with no success. Further details in our Press Release.

We have reminded Metro that they need to put information about the changes at local bus stops – none are there yet.

Micklefield House, Rawdon:  A Victorian Grade 2 Listed House

The History

Micklefield House has a varied and interesting history.  According to English Heritage the first reference to Micklefield House was in 1616, but this building was replaced by a new house in 1662, and the house was rebuilt again in 1847, then extended in 1872.

In Victorian times many wealthy Bradford textile manufacturers lived in Rawdon following the opening of a station at Apperley Bridge in 1846.   John Venimore Godwin, Mayor of Bradford

(1864-5) rented the house in the 1860s.  He was a successful Bradford stuff (mixed worsteds) merchant and keen early photographer and we have him to thank for a handful of evocative pictures of his family and home.  There must be others as he was a founder of the Bradford Photographic Society – we should very much like to have copies of any others that still exist.

The family of John Venimore Godwin at Micklefield House. On the left is John Arthur who went on to become the first Lord Mayor of Bradford in 1907.

John V’s father, Benjamin Godwin, lived in the 1662 house on the right in his retirement.  He was a Baptist Minister and important in the anti-slavery campaign of the 1830s that resulted in the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.  He was also involved in the setting up of the Liberal Bradford Observer newspaper in 1834.

In 1930 the house was bought by Rawdon Urban District Council as council offices, then becoming the headquarters of Aireborough Urban District Council in 1937 and eventually Leeds City Council in 1974 when Aireborough became part of Leeds.

The old photographs are from the website of the Aireborough Historical Society. Link:

http://www.aireboroughhistoricalsociety.co.uk/

2014 Victorian Society Heritage Visit

1906 O.S. Map Showing Micklefield House & Grounds

The Future

Since 1974 Micklefield House has been offices for various Leeds City Council departments – and provided local employment.  With the centralising of Leeds Council services at Merrion House it is now to be sold and will probably be converted into apartments.  This means that it could be empty and vulnerable to vandalism and theft whilst planning permission is obtained and a conversion can take place.  We are all aware of severe damage to important heritage buildings throughout Leeds when they have become empty, e.g. Chapel Allerton Hospital, Meanwood Hall, High Royds Hospital, Cookridge Hospital etc.  It is, unfortunately, a national problem that appears to be ignored at present. Aireborough Civic Society did oppose the sale, but is now working with councillors and  has met with officers to try and ensure that the building will be occupied at all times until work commences.

Update January 2020:  Leeds CC agreed to keep an office presence at Micklefield House when most departments had moved out and this was successful.   Unfortunately the Estates Department who were responsible for the building failed to take adequate security measures when the building became empty in November 2019, despite our warnings of the risk of vandalism.

In December vandals broke 20 windows, gained access and smashed important, irreplaceable Stained Glass windows inside the house.   The house has now been boarded up and hopefully security will prevent further damage.

Timeline of History of Micklefield House

1616   First reference to house on the site.

1662   New house built by David Marshall: sundial dated 1691, initials ‘M.A.M.’

1800   William Leavens (1747 – 1818) lived there.

1847   Rebuilt by William White (nephew of above) Date stone above doorway.  Architect: John Tertius Fairbank (also built Heaton Mount, Bradford).

1863   Estate auctioned in lots by White.  Purchased by William Kutter of   Buckstone Cottage.

1860s – 1870 John Venimore Godwin, Mayor of Bradford lived there (before moving to and rebuilding Crowtrees).

1871   Thomas Arton, Bradford stuff merchant bought house. Arton was a             councillor for Rawdon in the 1880s.

1872   extension to west (coat of arms on south gable).  Stable block has date stone 1872 with initials T & HA.

1911   William Denby Arton son living in house.

1918   George Donald Crossthwaite

1920   John Arthur Rhodes

1930   Purchased by Rawdon Urban District Council for £4,500 from John Rhodes of Spring Head Mill, Guiseley.

1937  Headquarters of Aireborough U.D.C. following union with Guiseley and Yeadon.

1962   Rawdon Library built in the grounds – HQ for Aireborough libraries.  Extension for local history library.

1974 Became offices of Leeds City Council with breaking up of the former West Riding with Aireborough becoming part of Leeds Metropolitan District.

In 2020 we have 5 talks and 5 community meetings.  Find out more about how we can improve Aireborough  at our community meetings when we shall usually have a guest MP or councillor.     Our talks cover a variety of topics.   All are very welcome to both.

Service 33 & Service 34 Cut to  30 mins frequency from Saturday 7^th December.

Aireborough Civic Society is extremely disappointed that First Bus has decided to reduce the frequency of Service 33 to Guiseley and Service 34 to Otley from every 20 minutes to every 30 minutes.   When a bus is cancelled (which happens quite frequently) that will mean waiting for a whole hour!  When the trolleybus scheme was cancelled we were promised frequent services until 8pm.

 Bus Service Cuts Next Week Make a Mockery of the Leeds Bus Partnership

The Leeds target to double bus passenger numbers between 2016 and 2026 cannot be achieved by such cuts. It is obvious that it will lead to even FEWER bus passengers and even MORE cars on our already congested roads.  The partnership of bus companies, Leeds C C and the Transport Authority is supposed to be working together to reduce congestion and pollution by improving public transport. It is clearly failing.  Car users may think this doesn’t affect them, but the more bus passengers who decide to ditch the bus, the worse all journeys become.   A full bus takes up to 64 cars off the road.   The effect in other areas such as Kirkstall and Burley with ever more commuter cars on local roads is unacceptable and the effect on emergency services is extremely worrying.

 Four years ago we were praising First for increasing bus services on these routes and two years ago we helped them publicise Service 19A continuing into Yeadon – but that was cut after just 2 months!  There is nothing to praise this time.

Off-Peak Bus Journey Times Still Compare Well with car or taxi.

BUT CONGESTION is causing increased Journey Times At Peak Periods.  This is a Real Problem.

Journey times at peak periods take twice as long as at other times. This is often due to all the traffic, but congestion is not the same every day and on many days journeys could be quicker.   BUT unfortunately bus passengers do not benefit as the bus must keep to a timetable.   Therefore on quieter days the bus will arrive up to 10 minutes early and must wait at bus stops – ideally with the engine turned off (to reduce pollution), but also making the bus extremely cold!

This is why Aireborough Civic Society has argued for bus lanes where the road is wide enough for over 10 years – so that bus journeys do not keep increasing in time and passengers do not have to sit on a cold bus that has arrived early.    But nothing has happened.

A group has set up a petition about these cuts – do consider signing it.  Full details on the Aireborough Voice facebook site:  https://www.facebook.com/aireborough.voice/

More Houses, More Cars, More Pollution BUT Fewer Buses

 We all know that the A65 & A658 are extremely congested making journeys longer and slower.   Last year Aireborough Civic Society did pollution tests that showed these roads are well over legal pollution levels where traffic queues.   The council have declared a climate emergency, but are allowing yet more houses to be built here – and that means more cars.

We now again urge the council and bus companies to work with us to make bus transport more attractive and frequent and encourage car users to choose a greener way to travel.

Clive Woods, Chair of Aireborough Civic Society said, “Before cutting bus services First should be persuading Leeds City Council of the need to put in bus lanes on our congested roads.  Unfortunately we have no evidence that they are doing that.”

 New Monday – Friday Timetable from December 7^th brings bad news for Bus Users At Peak Times:  e.g. Service 33:  bus at 1655, next bus is at 1740 – 45 minutes later (not even the claimed 30 minute service!)

Chairman Clive Woods said, “It does seem strange that politicians are considering spending millions on a road link from Rawdon to the Airport that will actually increase traffic in our area, rather than making improvements that would be far cheaper and would encourage more of us to use bus services, instead of driving.”

Please bring your local photos, postcards, old documents to the library on Saturday – so they can be added to the Historical Society website.    This is also a chance to find out more about your Local History Library and find out about Family History at the library.