A 1975 proposed subway from the Merrion Centre to the Headrow.

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Mon 06 Feb, 2012 7:23 pm

In the 'Retro' section covering February 1975 on page 13 of of the Yorkshire Evening Post today it reports that the Leeds City Council wanted to "create a new precinct linking The Headrow with the Merrion Centre" adding that a planning officer said "A facility exists in the design of the Merrion Centre to create a subway between Merrion Street and The Headrow at its junction with Woodhouse Lane". It would have presumably more or less followed the short stretch of Albion Street there.The mention that such a "facilty exists" intrigues me. I wonder what that was (possibly still is)?

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Mon 06 Feb, 2012 7:40 pm

Pound to a penny the 'facility' they mean was the ramp under street level for the Wade Lane subway herehttp://g.co/maps/dghptNote the air vent in the new brickwork now built on top of the ramp.The underground space extended past the subway into a dead end roughly under Merrion Street. This view is looking towards the ramphttp://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/538830795/You can see how the subway extended past the actual Wade Lane subway, the dead end on the right would have formed the subway extension to the Headrow in my opinionhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/538693 ... tostream/I should imagine any subway would have gone directly under the roads, they can't excavate under existing buildings. The route following Merrion St to Woodhouse Lane e.t.c!

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Mon 06 Feb, 2012 7:48 pm

Cheers Phill.

Post by **chameleon** » Mon 06 Feb, 2012 8:07 pm

More to the point, partticularly with the different street level, I'd wonder what advantage it would offer.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Mon 06 Feb, 2012 8:24 pm

chameleon wrote: More to the point, partticularly with the different street level, I'd wonder what advantage it would offer. Wishful thinking like the Leeds skywalk I think. No doubt any such scheme would have been closed 15 years later being labelled a squalid disgrace!

Post by **cnosni** » Mon 06 Feb, 2012 11:44 pm

Phill_dvsn wrote: chameleon wrote: More to the point, partticularly with the different street level, I'd wonder what advantage it would offer. Wishful thinking like the Leeds skywalk I think. No doubt any such scheme would have been closed 15 years later being labelled a squalid disgrace! I think you are right Phil,but one thing is for certain,judging by all the other examples of subways in Leeds this would have become a squalid disgrace,and like those other subways it would have become so because of some of the citizens of our fair city.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Mon 20 Feb, 2012 5:48 pm

This is a closed thread, just seeing if I add a new message if it opens it again!

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Mon 20 Feb, 2012 6:43 pm

I posted in this thread but now it's gone :-SThe site of what is now the St HJohn's Centre was semi derilict and ear-marked for redevelopment for years before it weas finally cleared. Did the original plans for this site include a subway link to the Merrion?

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Mon 20 Feb, 2012 6:45 pm

Cardiarms wrote: I posted in this thread but now it's gone :-SThe site of what is now the St HJohn's Centre was semi derilict and ear-marked for redevelopment for years before it weas finally cleared. Did the original plans for this site include a subway link to the Merrion? Ta da!http://www.secretleeds.co.uk/forum/Mess ... dID=3683It appears there lol I think csnosi started that thread to stop the original one (this one) being closed again.

Post by **chameleon** » Mon 20 Feb, 2012 8:25 pm

Phill_dvsn wrote: Cardiarms wrote: I posted in this thread but now it's gone :-SThe site of what is now the St HJohn's Centre was semi derilict and ear-marked for redevelopment for years before it weas finally cleared. Did the original plans for this site include a subway link to the Merrion? Ta da!http://www.secretleeds.co.uk/forum/Mess ... dID=3683It appears there lol I think csnosi started that thread to stop the original one (this one) being closed again. Yes, that was around the time things started going wierd....