Headingley Station Allotments: Leeds residents sign petition to city council to protect 'vital' site from development
Leeds residents have expressed their desire to protect a “historic and vital green space” from development after it was featured on a council consultation.
Fears were raised after the allotments by Headingley Station was featured among the ‘call for sites’ in the Leeds Local Plan as a place to be developed.
A petition has been launched urging the council to reject any plans that has so far acquired over 1,400 signatures, with one person saying that losing the site would be “madness”.
A consultation is currently ongoing from the council as part of its work to establishing a local plan for the city, which would act as a blueprint for future developments.
A council spokesperson has stressed that it is required to assess all sites put forward as part of the consultation and recognised that the allotments “have an immense value to people’s health and wellbeing”.
The petition was launched by local campaigner Stuart Long, who said that he was alerted following reports that a developer had been looking at the site.
He said: “From what I’m told some random person asked the council if they could build on it or do something with it and therefore the council has to ask the public what they think.
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“Given that the petition has 1,400 signatures, it’s quite clear that they don’t want that piece of land to change and feel it should remain a piece of green land, rather than another block of flats next to a local train station, which I think we’ve seen enough of.”
He highlighted how the allotments are a “thriving hub of local food growing, biodiversity, mental wellbeing, and community life” and that many locals use the site for a variety of reasons.
Mr Long also outlined how important the allotments are for future generations, saying: “Just the other day I was talking to parent whose two autistic children love to go and grow pumpkins and squash. So we can’t lose it.”
He also pointed the environmental impact that losing the allotments would have, saying it would “undermine Leeds’ climate and ecological priorities”.
The petition demands that the council “cancels any current or proposed plans to develop” the site and see that it is legally protected.
Mr Long, who was also central to the campaign to save Abbey House Museum, urged residents to send their feedback to the Leeds Local Plan consultation, as well as signing the petition.
A Leeds City Council spokesperson said: “This site has been submitted as part of our ‘call for sites’ in the Leeds Local Plan and is not a council proposal. The ‘call for sites’ asks landowners, developers and local people to suggest sites that might be suitable for new development.
“It is important to stress that we are required to assess all sites put forward as part of the consultation, however, at this early stage, no decisions have been made on the suitability of these sites for development.
“We recognise that the allotments are a valuable asset to the local community and have an immense value for people’s health and wellbeing. We would therefore urge everyone who has an opinion on this, or any other sites included, to have their say by visiting the dedicated consultation website where we can formally gather feedback on each site put forward.
“The Leeds Local Plan is open for feedback until September 15 and can be accessed online. A range of in-person drop-in events have also been arranged for anyone wanting to find out more.”