Note: This article is written by a member of the Long Leys community and does not represent the views of the LLRA committee.
Long Leys Residents Association is not a Parish Council, so doesn’t benefit from any contribution from Council Tax receipts, but equally isn’t directly responsible for the sort of things money from that source can be spent on. Really, LLRA exists to help coordinate and liaise between individual residents and those bodies – principally the City Council – which are responsible.
And from time to time LLRA can get behind issues and achieve great results, sometimes alone, and sometimes with help. We’ve seen this over the years – indeed LLRA was established to keep an eye on the St. George’s hospital site development, and in recent months we all know about Veolia.
But LLRA is not an organisation just to be brought into action when problems or issues arise. It’s day-to-day activity right now includes:
- monitoring current planning applications, including on the hospital campus and the former chapel property adjacent to the cemetery
- resolution of the Tanglewood site, and associated 106 money
- addressing speeding on Long Leys Road – possibly campaigning for a sign stating actual speed, not just a flashing 30mph sign
- inconsiderate parking on and around the northern end of Carram Way at the junction with Long Leys Road – yellow lines could resolve safety issues for traffic turning in
- supporting the provision of a pedestrian crossing by the entrance gates to West Common – providing safety to pedestrians, potentially slowing traffic on this bend, and protecting nearby properties from damage.
And then there are other things which, if undertaken, would benefit elements of the community. This ‘wish-list’ includes:
- attention to footpaths including Higson steps (handrail, non-slip surface, cycle / pushchair facility, attention to fences and posts)
- attention to footpath adjacent to Whittons Park (surfacing, better maintenance)
- consideration of overgrown / unsurfaced path from Long Leys Road (up beside hospital fence) up to Mercer Drive / Albion Crescent / Burton Road roundabout – and to Whittons Park
- additional play equipment for Whittons Park playground
- better lighting to footpath areas
- long term fund raising for a “village hall” to house community activities.
The ‘wish-list’ above is, we understand, not set in stone. Our hope is that, funds permitting, these ideas and others will be put to a community wide consultation sometime in 2017. (For continuity purposes, the ‘wish-list’ from the old forum has been included at the bottom of this page).
Do you have other ideas for improving the Long Leys community?
Please submit them via the online form on this website so we can provide them to the LLRA as additional items to be considered; see the Submit An Idea page for details. There are always more ideas than there is community time and money so we are asking for a little more detail when any new project ideas are submitted to make it easier to compare them with other projects.
How can you help with everything that is going on in the community?
Please do attend the 2017 LLRA AGM. At the AGM we’ll be looking for people to help Long Leys to make its voice heard. Can you spare some time to get involved? There should be plenty for willing volunteers to do, whether it’s raising additional funds, planning a project as part of a team or delivering communication material!
Archive from old stgeorgesforum website
106 Monies: Ideas For Spend
Higson Steps: (Joint County and City)
(Note that outside of 106 monies spend, +the white step lines need repainting+ Maintenance dates required as frequently overgrown/strewn with discarded waste)
Non slip tarmac
Bike lip
Pram ramp
Old Allotments to the right of Higson Steps going upwards:
Nature trail (note: could also now look at left hand side, keeping in mind the protection zones)
Footpath from Long Leys Road to Burton Road: (Joint County and City)
(Maintained 4 times a year. City in agreement in principle with widening some of the path and including some sort of stone chipping)
Upgrade all/in sections
Final steep part at Burton Road end:steps/hand rail for safe use in wet weather
Area considered as a wildlife area – assisted community project to bring back to life. This are could in part be owned by Lincs Wildlife Trust
Whittons Park:
Additional play equipment for a wider range of ages (use Arboretum as an example)
The Albion Path to Whittons Park be maintained to avoid park users having to use the road (see below*)
A lump sum kept aside for community activities
A scout hut if any one would like/is considering starting a scout group
15/20mph Speed Limit sign for all the residential area entrances off Long Leys Road
A change from ’Slow Down’ sign on Long Leys Road to a sign that shows your speed
More trees
Additional Requests Made for Council (i.e. not 106) Spend
+See also Higson Steps above
Having lights situated all on one side of both Higson Steps and the West Common footpath, creates large dark spaces. Additional lighting required.
*Footpath from Whittons Park to the join of the Albion/Burton Road footpath should be adopted. (it is considered that this owned by Suthrell’s but has been walked for some years). Because it is not owned by the council there does not seem to be a maintenance program to cut back the pathway meaning that for many months of a year, access to the park has to be made via the road. City confirmed they do not maintain this path.
Notes above are from a Deborah Lisseman post on old forum
What Others Are Saying: