Aireborough Civic Society aims to make improvements to our area and prevent changes that would make it worse.
As usual we have been involved in a variety of concerns that affect residents, and raising awareness through inviting councillors to our meetings and press releases. If you would like to be involved in the future of Aireborough, do please come along. New members, ideas and projects are always welcome. We meet on the last Tuesday of every month at 7.30pm in Rawdon Library. In 2025 we shall continue to have a programme of guest speakers and community meetings. Suggestions of topics/speakers would be welcome.
1. Environmental Matters
1.1 Yeadon High Street Flowers:
For the last 13 years ACS has taken on the planting of the High Street planters and Harper Lane barrier baskets (bus stop area) after the Yeadon Project was disbanded after 10 years, when volunteer numbers declined. Taking this on was only agreed if it did not involve raising funds to do the job and if support was received from Leeds City Council. Leeds Parks Dept. has always been very supportive of our work as volunteers.
This year there have again been problems with some of the plants received. Geranium roots seemed ‘trapped’ in a mesh and many did not flourish. Many winter violas and polyanthus had started to rot. Chickweed has threatened to overrun some plants (picture below). The hot summer weather and no rain stressed the plants and emergency watering by volunteers did not save all of them.
We now need a few more volunteers if we are to continue. It involves just 2 or 3 hours of clearing and planting in June and October.
1.2 Tarmacking Front Gardens & Impermeable Car Parking:
This continues to be a problem with front gardens tarmacked over and with mainly non-permeable surfaces of new build and car parks. This is an issue for LCC. We must raise this with our local councillors.
1.3 Bottle Banks at Micklefield Park:
The matter of the unsightly and noisy bottle banks next to Micklefield House Stables still has not been resolved. There must be a more suitable place to have them away from dwellings and not at the entrance to the park. We have suggested near the entrance to the council depot off Green Lane. Do we need glass recycling here anymore, now that it can go in our recycling bins? Councillors are surveying local people. Some of the rubbish left next to bins appears to be trade waste.
1.4 Air Pollution from vehicles next to A65 & A658:
Despite our initiative, now years ago, testing and identifying worrying levels of pollution, this seems to have been forgotten as an issue by Leeds City Council.
1.5 Litter:
This continues to be a problem in 2024, as elsewhere. We would like to start a Litter Pick again, but we need a volunteer to take charge and organise it.
2. Planning
2.1 Aireborough Neighbourhood Development Forum:
A designated neighbourhood forum is an organisation empowered by local planning authority to lead the neighbourhood planning process. The current committee have been in place since 2012. However between 2015 and 2019 the increasingly controversial Leeds Site Allocation Plan (SAP) to build on important Green Belt sites in Aireborough took up a great amount of ANDF time, as well as efforts to raise £70,000 to cover legal costs of the challenge. The Judicial Review at the High Court in London found in the ANDF’s favour and our 4 sites (as well as many others in Leeds) were saved.
The present ANDF Committee now wish to stand down and handover the Forum but finding new members has been very difficult. There is a proposal that it becomes a sub-committee of ACS.
2.2 Leeds Local Plan 2040: Call for Sites for the new Local Development Plan
We now know the places, mostly Green Belt that developers and landowners would like to build on in Aireborough for the Leeds Local Plan 2040. Cynically all the Green Belt sites that were put forward last time and were saved by the Judicial Review have been put forward again by developers.
2.3 New planning rules:
There are concerns with the proposed setting of ‘Housing Targets’ and a ‘5 Year Land Supply’. Similar rules previously were used by developers as a loophole to get planning permissions on unsuitable Green Field & Green Belt sites while leaving brown field sites derelict. The previous system allowed developers to appeal sites refused by Leeds CC. The Planning Inspectorate then over-ruled the refusals and developers’ claimed costs of appeal from the council totaling several million pounds. The new designation of ‘Grey Belt’ is likely to be used by developers to get permission on Green Belt sites that are not ‘derelict petrol stations’!
It has also led to large housing developments in Burley in Wharfedale on Green Belt sites & in North Bradford. This has inevitably led to even worse traffic congestion and air pollution in Aireborough
These very important issues seem to be ignored by the current planning system. The Government needs to make changes to deal with the problem and ensure that the Planning Inspectorate are informed. Chair to make our new MP aware of this.
2.4 Planning Applications:
Monitoring Planning Applications: Aireborough is a difficult area to find out about Planning Applications as applications are listed in Councillor Wards: for us Guiseley & Rawdon, Otley & Yeadon, Horsforth. Therefore we can easily miss important applications. Peter Middleton (Yeadon), Richard Taylor (Rawdon) & Robert Turner (Guiseley) have been checking these.
External Shutters: Shops must have planning permission for external shutters and these are not normally permitted in Conservation Areas as they have a negative impact, especially when a shop is empty. We now have a number in Guiseley & Yeadon. Details have been sent to the Enforcement team. Unfortunately if they were installed more than 4 years ago then they are deemed to have planning permission. This is one to watch.
Current Planning Applications
24/02501/FU New Turkuaz Restaurant (Rawdon)
The current enclosure in front of the restaurant was erected without the required planning permission. A retrospective application has already been refused and the application seemed to be almost identical. ACS objected again – noise to residents, lack of parking, and negative impact on the Conservation Area. Refused again & Appeal dismissed – but the enclosure is still there!
23/03958/FU the Old Rectory, The Green, Guiseley
Formation of pedestrian access with gate to Church Street and change of use to a private amenity area. This retrospective application was refused and the section of wall that was removed has been replaced.
Micklefield House
Micklefield House is a Grade 2 Listed Building of architectural and historic importance. The Mayor of Bradford was a tenant in the 1860s and it was the home of Rawdon UDC & then Aireborough Urban District Council from the 1930s until 1974.
Leeds CC decided to sell it in 2017. Empty buildings attract vandalism and theft and the Chair had met with Leeds officers in 2019 to highlight the risks. Unfortunately security did not improve, eg. Security cameras not covering potential access points. Many windows have been broken and there have been at least 2 break-ins and serious damage to listed heritage features in Dec. 2019.
The first prospective owner submitted an application to build a ‘glass box’ 2nd storey extension.There were strong objections from Leeds Civic Trust, the Victorian Society. Rawdon Parish Council. Leeds Heritage Champion, over 60 residents and ourselves but surprisingly they were supported by Leeds City Council officers and controversially approved in December 2021.
New Birks Farm, Ings Lane, Guiseley. Derelict farmhouse awaiting new planning permission – refused (surprisingly).
Leeds Bradford Airport:
The Airport has breached its planning conditions by having many illegal flights between 11pm and 5am. However the maximum fine for this is very small (£3000???), so no action is to be taken. Clearly the fine for breaking these rules should be much higher.
3. Congestion & Public Transport
Large new housing estates being constructed in Burley, Menston & North Bradford will only add to the numbers of cars on our local roads.
It has been yet another very disappointing year for public transport. Congestion is much less predictable since the Covid pandemic, making the timetabling and reliability of our buses extremely difficult. This new problem is at a time when we need people to leave their cars at home to reduce pollution and congestion in Aireborough. E.g. Congestion is bad at weekends and at mid-afternoon.
3.1 Buses:
The decline in bus passengers continues and West Yorkshire has experienced the largest decline of any metropolitan area in England!
3.1.1 Service 966 Local Circular:
Transdev withdrew from this service in 2023 and finding a replacement proved very difficult. After several weeks of no service a new bus company operated a much reduced service with the last bus from Guiseley at 2pm and no buses at all on Saturdays. NB Chair had used one Sat. morning service before the cut and there were 18 passengers using it.
3.1.2 First Bus Service 27 Evening Buses Cut July 2023 – restored 2024!:
This was welcome BUT why was it cut in the first place? Poor decisions lose passengers and many find alternatives (taxis?) and do not return! Service frequency now every 40 mins – it was every 20 mins.
3.1.3 Services 33/34:
Unfortunately, First decided to restore the 27 Service by linking it to Service 33 and ending the 33 route at Guiseley Morrisons instead of White Cross – now back to White Cross. Also the Service 33 evening & Sunday through services to Otley were cut. Reliability has plummeted, which was entirely predictable – it was another poor decision that could have been avoided with local consultation.
On the plus side we did persuade First to re-instate Rawdon Crossroads on the timetable and to have regular departure times from Leeds (where possible), but that went in the October changes. We also got Metro to make the sound information at Rawdon bus stops louder – so you could hear it.
3.1.4 Service A1: Leeds to Leeds Bradford Airport – more cuts
Daytime services reduced from 20 min. to 30 min. frequency. Evening services reduced from 30 mins to 45 mins and then hourly after 6.15pm.
Service A2 & A3: – more cuts: Yeadon to Airport, Harrogate & Bradford. Evening services from Yeadon to Harrogate were cut in 2023: last bus now at 7.20pm (was 9pm). Last bus from the airport is now at 10.27pm (was 11.27pm)
Unfortunately, none of the cuts in 2023 to the Flyer Bus Services have been restored. This is despite the large number of late evening arrivals at Leeds Bradford Airport.
3.1.5 Lack of onward travel information at Leeds City Railway Station for visitors to Leeds
3.1.6 Quality Bus Route 2007
Chair discovered a report that the route was planned to continue along the A65 to the Leeds boundary – but never acted on. Part of the austerity cuts?? Extract from Council Report:
3.2 Roadworks Disruption:
The number of temporary traffic lights due to roadworks seems to have increased enormously. They need to be better regulated and enforced so they are not so disruptive. E.g. In 2020 Chair involved Clr. Wadsworth and eventually temporary traffic lights at the junction of the A65 and Whackhouse Lane were deemed unnecessary and were removed – but only after 2 weeks of delays to traffic. What are the regulations? How are they enforced?
3.3 Horsforth Roundabout Part 1 and the A65:
We complained to Area councillors and officers that the 2015 ‘improvements’ claimed to reduce congestion have failed for A65 users. Queues on the A65 from Rawdon to Leeds have often been worse than before the changes. It is hard to understand why this £5m+ scheme failed to introduce 2 TRAFFIC LANES leading up to the roundabout from Rawdon, as proposed by ACS.
Leeds City Council have accepted that the Horsforth Roundabout changes did not reduce congestion and have bought in the SCOOT system of managing traffic lights to reduce congestion. However the system (costing several million pounds) has not improved A65 congestion.
3.4 Fink Hill Road Scheme:
This was implemented in 2024 with claims that it was better for public transport – except that just ONE bus per hour uses this part of the Ring Road! Surely one extra lane of traffic going West would have improved the road adequately and been far cheaper than this large expensive scheme.
3.5 Horsforth Roundabout, Part 2: The Latest Scheme:
We were surprised by a new project to spend £4 million on the Horsforth Roundabout. This was consulted in 2021, just before Christmas. Instead of tackling the obvious queues on the A65, money was spent creating a short stretch of dual carriageway on the Ring Road and to make 2 lanes for a short section towards Rodley (for about 30 more cars).
Much is made of adding a cycle lane/footpath next to this road to make it appear more acceptable to the Cycle Lobby. However the previous little used footpath seemed perfectly okay and there is plenty of room to make a cycle path without the road changes. So this seems to be another poor and expensive scheme that will not make any great improvements and is very poor value for money.
3.6 Scoot:
Leeds had a government grant to spend over £2 million on technology to make traffic lights along the A65 more effective. The system works by responding to variations in traffic flow, aiming to reduce the queues.
At our May 2024 Community Meeting, Joel Dodsworth, UTMC Manager, Highways and Transportation, Leeds City Council explained how the system works. The SCOOT system installed on the A65 can improve traffic flow by linking traffic lights at junctions to be ‘green’ and reduce delays. Have you noticed this working?
However, the MOVA system (not chosen) might have worked better on congested roads as this only works on individual junctions. Both are dependent upon the infrastructure being in good condition. Neither are able to help buses that are stuck in congestion. That would require a different system. After teething problems (it relies on sensors in the road) it should now be fully operating.
3.7 Cycle Lanes:
Concerns about lack of use, despite big expenditure. After Freedom of Information request, we received a rather vague response from L.C.C. – it needs to be followed up.
4. Heritage
We are fortunate to live in a part of Yorkshire with plenty of character, a great variety of historic buildings and a varied landscape with rural areas close to urban areas.
4.1 Our Conservation Areas:
We have nine Conservation Areas and the Appraisals for each area give the history and the important features. The reports are highly recommended.
Link: www.leeds.gov.uk/planning/conservation-protection-and-heritage/conservation-area
The Civic Society looks closely at planning applications to make sure that they look after that character.
In 2021 a resident reported the illegal loss of one of our few remaining Victorian shop frontages in Yeadon and its replacement by an unsuitable modern shop front. This was illegal and needed planning permission. We contacted the Conservation Dept. and Enforcement and found out that a retrospective application asking for the changes to be allowed has been refused. The owner made another application with slight changes that we also objected to and this has also been refused. 3 years later in 2024 the owner made another new application and that was quickly approved in just 6 weeks, without our knowledge. Does this override the enforcement for a replica Victorian shopfront? If so here is a serious loophole that has been exploited. To date in 2026 nothing has happened! As well as the heritage loss, it has also been a huge waste of officer time!
4.2 Shopfronts:
There is a new Leeds Civic Trust leaflet to encourage good design and make owners aware of their responsibilities and planning law. Copies available to distribute to local shops. External shutters have a negative impact and do need planning permission. The Steep in Yeadon is especially bad and there are at least 3 shopfronts on the A65 in Guiseley with external shutters. Volunteers have distributed the leaflets to Guiseley shops.
4.3 Conservation Area Protection.
There is a new information leaflet to make owners aware of the importance of looking after heritage buildings and making sure that any changes improve the appearance of a Conservation Area. It has been produced by Leeds Civic Trust and copies available for local Civic Societies to distribute to residents. NB Leeds CC used to produce information leaflets about the Conservation Areas.
4.4 Proposed Memorial for Cotopa Mill.
In conjunction with Aireborough Historical Society a memorial has been proposed marking the site of a tragic event in Guiseley in the 2nd World War. Cotopa Mill was situated on Back Lane in Guiseley. It was built in Victorian times and had a number of uses in its lifetime. Tragically 3 young women were killed in an explosion in 1941. They had been making grenades for the Home Guard. We are still waiting for Leeds Highways Dept. to give permission for putting it next to a footpath.
4.5 High Royds Hospital (closed 2004)
Most of the site has now been converted, but surprisingly there are still some derelict buildings. The Social Club have still not got the new building that was promised. There are still a lot of problems for residents.
4.6 Abbey House Museum Saved From Closure but not Thwaites Mill.
It is important that we try to influence changes outside Aireborough that do affect us as Leeds residents.
Therefore we were appalled that in 2024 it was proposed to close the excellent Abbey House Museum to save just £160,000 and with many others we objected to the plan. Fortunately it has now been saved. Please publicise and visit it. There is a very good exhibition ‘Story Time’ on now.
Sadly Thwaite Mill was closed from the end of March 2024, the lease was terminated. The Canals & Rivers Trust have quickly sold the Mill, so its future looks bleak and Leeds could lose an important heritage mill.
Rawdon Local History Group member David Myers visited the mill on its last day of operation and made an excellent short film about it. You can view it on YouTube
5. Walks Programme 2024
Walks organiser Pam Smith arranged a successful programme of Friday early evening walks for 2025.
6. Talks & Meetings
ACS really needs a publicity officer familiar with using Social Media to make local residents more aware of what we do.
In 2018 we decided to invite our councillors and MPs to our community meetings as part of a rolling programme and in 2025 we were pleased to welcome Councillor Colin Campbell, Councillor Oliver Edwards, Councillor Sonia Leighton and Councillor Eleanor Thompson. We intend to continue with this in 2026.
Leeds City Council Officers Richard Hern, Area Manager, Parks and Countryside, Climate, Energy and Green spaces, & Ryan Fowler, Parks Technical Support Officer came to our July meeting. Prior to the meeting we had a walk around Micklefield Park to assess the park and identify improvements.
We also had guest speaker Dr. David Hopes, Head of Leeds City Council Museums & Art Galleries at Leeds City Council telling us about Leeds Heritage Framework & future plans for Leeds Museums & Art Gallery’ in October.
Our 2026 programme of bi-monthly talks was as follows:
Eric Jackson, told the story of ‘Ten World Famous Monuments’, Patrick Bourne (Curator) gave a talk about Abbey House Museum, Past & Present’, Paul Jennings told us about ‘The History of Harrogate Spa, Malcolm Johnson told us about how he became ‘”Famous for 12 Minutes?” Finally, we saw Local Historian Mark Saville’s film about the history of Aireborough from Roman times up to 2001.
Future topics for Aireborough Civic Society to consider, including guest speakers. Suggestions: Conservation Team, Planning, Enforcement, our MP, Mayor of West Yorkshire.
Thank you to Derek Sharp, our new treasurer, for keeping the accounts and dealing with membership, Judith Woods for taking minutes of our meetings, and Pam Smith for organising the Walks Programme.
2025 Treasurer’s Report
Clive Woods, Chair
February 2026
