Morris Lane, Kirkstall: Roadworks having 'severe' impact on Leeds businesses and residents as deadline extended further
Leeds residents are continuing to voice their “deep frustration” after an emergency road closure was extended further.
Morris Lane in Kirkstall has been closed since last October to allow for emergency repairs to a burst water main. The work was originally scheduled to take ten weeks but the competition date has now been extended to August.
Local resident Stuart Long said that the road closure has had a “severe” impact on the local community, leading to significant traffic disruption in the area and less custom for the local shops.
He said: “People are having to rat run all around the place and it’s having a massive environmental impact due to all the pollution.
“Every time we reach a deadline there’s been a new excuse. It needs bringing to a close as quickly as possible.”
Mr Long set up a petition calling for an investigation into Yorkshire Water’s handling of the roadworks which has now received over 300 signatures.
It also calls for weekly public updates on the works moving forward and compensation for those directly affected.
Mr Long said: “This situation is symptomatic of poor planning, inadequate risk management, and a troubling lack of transparency on the part of Yorkshire Water. The cited reasons — that the pipe lies 8.5 meters underground and near a high-voltage electricity cable — are factors that should have been anticipated through proper surveying and due diligence before works began.
“The residents of Kirkstall deserve better than corporate silence and indefinite disruption. This is not just a local inconvenience — it is a clear breach of public trust and regulatory expectation.”
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: “We appreciate how frustrating delays can be and we thank residents and road users for their ongoing patience as we carry out this complicated and complex repair.
“As with any works of this nature, we do sometimes come across challenges that can set our timescales back slightly. Our contract partners recently found an incorrectly mapped cast iron water main, laid pre-1980, which has caused further delay as the main required a vacuum excavator to avoid damaging the pipe. This has impacted the original timelines and schedule of works, requiring detailed design amendments to ensure we can safely continue the permanent fix to the sewer.”
They added: “Due to its complexity, we have installed scaffolding and a downpipe in the new manhole shaft to allow us to core drill through the concrete wall. We have engaged specialist contractors to complete this work and, to repair the damaged pipe, specialist steel piping has been ordered and fabricated. Unfortunately, this has added further delays until the bespoke materials are delivered to complete the scheme.
“Our customer liaison teams are in contact with the local community to keep them up to date with proceedings and wherever possible, our contractors are working later evenings, when it will not cause undue disruption to residents neighbouring the site.”
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: "We continue to have discussions with Yorkshire Water regarding the ongoing and delayed works taking place on Morris Lane at Kirkstall.
"We are aware that these works have caused disruption for both local residents and motorists and those slightly further afield due to diversions. Whilst the causes of the delays are legitimate, we have sought a timely completion and accurate details for the remaining works so that local residents and the travelling public have reliable information moving forward. The current completion date is expected to be August 22, 2025.”