Lidgett Lane Gateway

Friends of Allerton Grange Fields secured Leeds City Council Housing Advisory Panel funding for the community led Lidgett Lane Gateway environmental improvement project.

Lidgett Lane - A shopping parade to be proud of

A new community noticeboard, a local history interpretation panel, two floral planters, four litter bins and six streets trees have been installed at Lidgett Lane neighbourhood shopping parade in north Leeds as part of a major community led project called Lidgett Lane Gateway thanks to Leeds City Council Housing Advisory Panel (HAP) funding.

Friends of Allerton Grange Fields, a registered tenants and residents association, have worked with Leeds City Council and local shopkeepers on environmental improvement proposals for Lidgett Lane Parade to create a cleaner, greener, safer shopping environment.

The improvements also include LED string lights for the tree on the parade to create a welcoming environment and year round interest late into the evening as customers visit the two take away outlets on the parade.

Lidgett Lane Parade includes an independent newsagent, a convenience and off licence store, a charity shop and furniture store and two take away food outlets.

The project has the following keys elements:-

1. Two timber floral planters with low maintenance perennial plants (Phormium and Bergenia plants) - The Friends work with local shopkeepers to look after the planters. An attractive neighbourhood parade of shops will help drive footfall by creating an attractive environment and encouraging local people to support local shops and create a vital and viable community.

2. Trees on grassed central reservation and grass verges on Lidgett Lane. This has helped create a green and pleasant environment and reduce air and noise pollution along Lidgett Lane. The tree planting on the central reservation will also complement the 15,000 daffodil and crocus bulbs which were planted between 2010 and 2013 (thanks to East North East Homes funding). The gateway location to the Brackenwood area has huge potential to create a positive gateway feature which local people can be very proud of. The central reservation on Lidgett Lane has been planted with Silver Birch and Alder trees to further enhance this green corridor to the Brackenwood estate. The two prominent grassland verges on Lidgett Lane junction with Brackenwood Drive have incorporated Silver Birch Trees. The grassed area on Lidgett Lane junction with Allerton Grange Avenue have been planted with two Rowan Trees to recreate the original streetscape at this junction.

3. Local History Interpretation sign - This is located on Lidgett Lane at the junction with Brackenwood Drive and provides an overview of the local history of the area (Brackenwood estate, Allerton Grange Farm used by Cistercian Monks and the Moor Allerton Hall). The ‘welcome to Brackenwood and local history interpretation panel sign is of high quality and helps generate a strong sense of civic pride and sense of place in the local area.

3. Community Noticeboard on Lidgett Lane Parade of Shops - Unlike other estates in Leeds, the Brackenwood Estate did not have a community noticeboard in a prominent location. The Community Notice Board is located on the parade (not for commercial advertisements) and provides information on community events and activities and the work of Housing Leeds, HAP, Community Committee, MP and Councillor Surgeries and local groups such as Friends of Allerton Grange Fields, REAP, Moortown Community Group etc.

4. LED Lights for the large tree on the Parade - Cool White LED string lights have been installed on the tree outside the parade to create a safer and welcoming environment by night and add year round interest recognising that some of the traders on the parade play an important role in the evening economy in relation to food and drink.

5. Litter Bins - The two open top bins on Lidgett Lane Parade have been replaced with modern bins with hoods (which prevents litter from blowing across the parade).

The Project was delivered throughout 2015.