Aircraft Viewing Areas

[Bigman]

They could always pitch a tent at the end on the Dam with a handy camping stove.

 

[JakeS]

Visiting the cemetery viewing area yesterday it struck me how much the road has broken away over the years resulting in a good foot drop in places between tarmac and dirt. This prompted the question what the future holds for the land, leaving it be until the tarmac all but goes or resurfacing?

 

[scottrhino]

Visiting the cemetery viewing area yesterday it struck me how much the road has broken away over the years resulting in a good foot drop in places between tarmac and dirt. This prompted the question what the future holds for the land, leaving it be until the tarmac all but goes or resurfacing?

 

[scottrhino]

Funny you should put this up Jake. I visited both cemetery road and bayton lane the other week and thought the same. My point was also the amount of litter and general disregard for the area.

I have since written to the local MP and apparently these sites aren't owned or maintained by Leeds City Council. Not sure who is responsible but I cannot see any improvements if its privately owned.

 

[White Heather]

If it is not owned by the council, then why do they provide and empty litter bins outside the cemetary, and (occasionally) trim the trees and bushes between the viewing area and Cemetary Road, below? I raised the fact that the trees were so high people were resorting to sitting on the cemetary walls to see over with a Leeds Councillor at the Consultative Meeting, and he arranged to have them trimmed, which suggests to me that the area is owned and maintained by the council - as it was prior to the the runway extension, when it was just an ordinary road.

 

[scottrhino]

Hi White Heather

The Cllr said that annually they trim the hedges and bushes and are obliged to collect the bin waste.

He also said that local volunteers come and clean the site with litter picking etc and that is due to be done soon.

I was surprised too but he definitely stated in an email response which I will upload later if I can that LCC do not have responsibility for the roads and upkeep.

 

[ls27]

As far as I can remember the viewing area is still a public highway. This fact arose some time ago when the double yellow lines were renewed.The other bit of road round the side of the cemetery is also a public highway with double yellow lines. Then the the airline chartered by Thomson, when the hours were extended, (I think it was Monarch) insisted that the posts carrying the No Parking signs should be cut down to the level of the adjacent wall.

 

[Aviador]

Funny you should put this up Jake. I visited both cemetery road and bayton lane the other week and thought the same. My point was also the amount of litter and general disregard for the area.

I have since written to the local MP and apparently these sites aren't owned or maintained by Leeds City Council. Not sure who is responsible but I cannot see any improvements if its privately owned.

Which MP did you write to? If it's Gregg Mulholland, he's not a great fan of the airport so I can't imagine he'll be all too bothered about the odd "plane spotter" wanting a better upkeep of the area at the end of the runway.

 

[scottrhino]

Morning Aviador

This was the response from the Cllr Colin Campbell;

Thank you for your e-mail.
As you can guess there is no easy solution to this (apart from people not dropping litter).
Both the Cemetery Road site and the one on Bayton Lane are not in Council ownership so technically Council employees should not enter the site or erect barriers.
They do however call occasionally to collect litter.
The Cemetery Road site does have an annual spring clean organised by Aireborough Civic Society. I am not sure if they have fixed the date for this year and I will contact them and let you know.
If all else fails Sandy and I will try and organise something and call for volunteers

As you can see he is quite clear about the councils obligations regarding the repairs and maintenance of the area.

 

[SNOWMAN]

hi scottrhino
if the road is owned buy the council would that account for the double yellow lines? i also remember the hassle we had with the traffic wardens years ago,this was when ward air 747/dc10 flights from L.B.A. the police dropped a warden off to ticket all the parked cars,things sometimes got out of hand,and the warden phoned in for the police,so i would assume that the council owned the land at that time.
regards
sm1

 

[White Heather]

I asked a Leeds Councillor about ownership of the road outside the cemetary today at the Consultative Meeting. He said to his knowledge it was owned by the council, as it always has y been. However, I told him there was a different opinion from another councillor (who represents Yeadon, so should know) and he has said he will find out for sure and email me with an answer. With regard to viewing areas, as I promised, I raised with LBA today the possibility of them identifying an area within the airport boundary to create a dedicated viewing area, with raised areas for photography allowing photos to be taken without having to contend with an 8 foot high fence. Similar to Manchester, but obviously on a smaller scale. My question was taken seriously and we were told it would be taken away and considered for the future. The airport director at the meeting did say he had a similar viewing area at his previous airport (East Midlands) so although he admitted he had not thought of it, he did agree to take it away and consider options for the future.

 

[ls27]

Yes White Heather the Councillor at the meeting is correct. The area in question is actually Cemetery Road and the road round the front of the area is the Cemetery Road Diversion. In the same vane the none maintained bit of road down the side is in fact Haw Lane and are both highways 'maintained' at public expense. The yellow lines are not for the highways benefit, but are a requirement of the Civil Aviation Authority.

 

[White Heather]

Well that is what I thought LS27, and so did the councillor I spoke to yesterday, but Cllr Campbell is also a member of the Consultative Committee. If he had been there yesterday, I could have asked the question of both of them and then stood back and let them argue it out between them. There is no doubt at all that the road to the front and side of the cemetary was the public highway prior to the new road opening, and the cemetary is also council owned, the litter bins provided are council owned too, and I watched last week as the council emptied them and did some litter picking. If the council don't own these roads, I cannot imagine who does!

 

[ls27]

Bear in mind that the Council can make an order to make that part of the two highways ' as unnecessary highways' or what ever term they use these days and close it off . To what purpose I don't know. But anybody who does park there should be aware that they are contravening the parking regulations.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

I have just driven past the airport and am appalled to find that Plane Tree Hill has been closed off to the public. When did this occur?!

 

[Aviador]

I have just driven past the airport and am appalled to find that Plane Tree Hill has been closed off to the public. When did this occur?!

Thanks for that information. I can see #planetreehill from my parents house and I'd seen a digger working up there today. When you say "closed" do you mean something that looks permanent or temporary? I'd be very interested to know what it is they're doing considering the land is meant to be common land. #spottingatLBA #viewofLBA

 

[LBAYORKIE]

A seriously heavy duty gate has been installed at the entrance directly at the top of the hill. There are earthworks at either side to stop anyone bypassing it.

 

[Aviador]

Might need to go and investigate this tomorrow. #PlaneTreeHill #LBAplanespotting

 

[LBAYORKIE]

To be fair, that entrance is in a dangerous positon. Maybe its been blocked off for safety purposes leaving the other entrance stilL open.

 

[yorkshire]

Lets hope its not a new housing estate , but more airport related.