SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Mentioned recently inYEP and briefly :-"A newly formed Leeds Academy Trust is battling five other bidders to win the right to operate a school which hasn’t been built yet.Earlier this year, Leeds City Council invited bids from organisations to run a proposed new primary school at Florence Street, Harehills, which is earmarked to open in September 2013."Florence Street is a fairly narrow Street of mixed building,businessand residential,there has been some demolition but not much,how are they going to fit a school in there.It and surrounding streets are blocked throughout the daywith parked cars,it is impossible for 2 cars to pass each other.

If you look at the site there is plenty of access from Stanley Road/ Ashley Road etc to the site they are looking at. Not sure of there enough for a playing field etc on the site. Looks a bit small.

I hear that it could include the current recycling site. Much of the land needed, though, is currently empty. It's never been built on due to contamination from the former incinerator on the site (heavy metals?). So, is it suitable for a school? Well, it's never stopped them before.... The nearby Harehills Primary School is built on the site of the radioactive waste dump from the former Kershaws/Rank Optics factory which made luminous instruments for military aircraft. Also, Brownhill Primary School is built on the site of a former council rubbish tip. Some local residents wanted to start a 'community garden' on the land next to Brownhill a few years back - but were told that the land was heavily toxic and could not be used as a garden unless expensive preparatory work was done first to seal in the toxic layers underneath and fresh topsoil laid on top!    

York Road Lad wrote: I hear that it could include the current recycling site. Much of the land needed, though, is currently empty. It's never been built on due to contamination from the former incinerator on the site (heavy metals?). So, is it suitable for a school? Well, it's never stopped them before.... The nearby Harehills Primary School is built on the site of the radioactive waste dump from the former Kershaws/Rank Optics factory which made luminous instruments for military aircraft. Also, Brownhill Primary School is built on the site of a former council rubbish tip. Some local residents wanted to start a 'community garden' on the land next to Brownhill a few years back - but were told that the land was heavily toxic and could not be used as a garden unless expensive preparatory work was done first to seal in the toxic layers underneath and fresh topsoil laid on top!     I thought the Rank factory was on Harehills Lane where Troy is now and the Mosque was built on part of the toxic land?

Troy was there when Rank was still there. Rank was on the Bilal Mosque site and Harehills Primary School is built on land that was adjacent to Rank. I was on the Council when Harehills Primary was built and saw a Council report that mentioned the need to deal with the radioactive waste prior to building the school.

These 'free' schools are popping up anywhere and everywhere - they're building one in what was the Bradford City FC shop at Valley Parade which opens in September according to Radio Leeds!

There is money to be made out of running schools now. The system is heading into a big mess.

The recyling centre closed some weeks ago and the wreckers startedwork about 3 weeks since.Plant and portakabins for the construction work are now in place.Looks like we have lost a valued and well used facility which will be replaced by moreroad congestion in the future.I haven't looked properly at the plans,the tablet I have been using recently is a bitn the small side for viewing so I have not seen how the on street parking will be addressed.

The school is just about completed,ready for September probably and is called.....
The Nightingale Primary Academy(a Co-operative Academy)

It will be interesting to see the traffic arrangements at drop off and
pick up times.