In July Cllr Stoddart-Scott, as a newly appointed Trustee of Wades Charity, went on their annual property tour to see progress that has been made and discuss plans for the future.
At the end of July, I joined a tour of green spaces across Leeds in my new role as a Leeds City Council appointed trustee of Wade’s Charity.
The tour revealed the extraordinary variety of land cared for by the charity, sometimes directly and sometimes in close partnership with the council. More striking, however, was the amount of thought, planning and sustained effort involved in transforming these spaces and maintaining them as green oases within the city.
At Penny Pocket Park, opposite Leeds Minster, ambitious plans will connect the existing park more successfully with the surrounding land. The work is not simply about landscaping. Difficult pedestrian access, changes in level and nearby roads all need to be considered. Even before the main project begins, a local graffiti artist has created a mural beneath the railway arch, making the area feel brighter and less threatening. It is a good example of how thoughtful investment in public space can help discourage neglect and antisocial behaviour.
At the other end of the spectrum, Gledhow Valley Woods demonstrated the importance of long term stewardship. It is already a well established and much loved green space, but it still requires continuing work to clean and dredge waterways and provide enough litter collection for current levels of use.
Other sites on the tour showed projects at every stage, from the remarkable transformation of Throstle Recreation Ground to plans being developed for Copperfields and efforts to secure funding for Shaftesbury Field.
I came away with a much stronger appreciation of Wade’s Charity’s contribution to Leeds. Its work is not merely about owning or maintaining patches of land. It is about creating, restoring and protecting places where communities can spend time, enjoy nature and feel proud of their surroundings.
Cllr David Stoddart-Scott
