Ex. R.O.F. BARNBOW

[Brunel]

Just been announced that the factory is to be be demolished, and the complete site converted to housing.

THE LIMES AT BARNBOW by Isambard Brunel, on Flickr

[buffaloskinner]

After extracting a coal seam I believe and building a new road

[chameleon]

Most of the site is already developed and occupied, the remaining area cannot be built on until the underlying coal from the Middleton Main seam at a shallow depth is removed to allow stabilisation of the ground. A similar application is approved to extract coal from a large area of the remaining Thorpe Park Development slightly to the east and south of the railway.

The road is the East Leeds Link road, the Seacroft (Ring Road) bypass originally proposed and shelved in the early 80's. It will eventually run from Colton/Thorpe Park, past Scholes, Whinmoor and Redhall to join the A6120 towards Shadwell.

As much as there was strong opposition back then, it is difficult to say in honesty that the volume of Ring Road traffic does not warrant this. The continuing of the East Leeds Outer Extension of house building is dependant upon this too. It is proposed constructing it in stages which will hopefully reduce the added congestion resulting from the expected 2000+ homes being built - the projected completion date for all these is around 2030!