Labour Councillor Christine Knight and Labour MP Alex Sobel have met with the city’s new transport head and have achieved substantial changes to the proposed scheme for Lawnswood roundabout.
Your Labour team in Weetwood, asked for a meeting with Cllr Lisa Mulherin, the new Executive Member for Climate Change and Transport, as soon as she started in the role.
The main focus of the meeting was the plan drawn up by officers to remove the Roundabout, which Labour’s Leadership on Leeds City Council had already paused after interventions from the community and local Labour elected representatives.
At the meeting, Cllr Mulherin confirmed that a new set of priorities for cycling and pedestrian safety would replace the previous focus on bus priority for the Lawnswood Roundabout. The Lawnswood Roundabout is the second worst roundabout for collisions in Leeds with cyclists worst affected and all present agreed on this important focus on safety.
Councillor Knight and Mr Sobel made a case for keeping tree loss to an absolute minimum with replanting on a 3 to 1 ratio within the locality.
All present were very aware of their responsibilities after both the Council and Parliament passed motions on a Climate Emergency and that any changes to the roundabout, should substantially improve air quality and cut carbon.
After the meeting Cllr Lisa Mulherin asked Highways Officers to go away and redraw the plans which will then go back to the public.
Cllr Christine Knight said, ‘after months of hard work with Alex and James Gibson, I am delighted to let you know that the priorities residents have asked for have been recognised by Cllr Lisa Mulherin and the Labour Council Leadership.
The scrapping of the old scheme and a new scheme which is all about the safety of my constituents means we can get the best possible result for local residents and better use of public money.’
Alex Sobel said, ‘air quality and carbon emissions are my biggest priority here in Weetwood, nationally and globally. The original scheme didn’t meet our priorities, so I am delighted to see this fundamental rethink which saves our trees whilst improving the roundabout for cyclists and pedestrians. I have had a huge amount of communication from residents and I am pleased that the Labour team have listened and shown that our actions for residents deliver results whilst others deliver only empty rhetoric.’
Cllr Lisa Mulherin said, “I would like to thank Cllr Christine Knight and Alex Sobel MP for getting in touch with me about Lawnswood Roundabout. Our meeting was very productive and there was a huge amount of common ground. I look forward to working with the councillors and local MP to deliver a scheme which prioritises cycle and pedestrian Safety.’