Kirkstall Valley Park A Strategy for delivery 1 KIRKSTALL VALLEY PARK – A STRATEGY FOR DELIVERY Contents INTRODUCTION 5 DEVELOPMENT HISTORY 9 CONTEXT AND ANALYSIS 11 OBJECTIVES 23 EXISTING CHALLENGES 24 KEY FRAMEWORK MOVES 29 FUNDING 47 MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE 49 2 KIRKSTALL VALLEY PARK – A STRATEGY FOR DELIVERY 3 KIRKSTALL VALLEY PARK – A STRATEGY FOR DELIVERY “Kirkstall Valley Park (KVP) is a proposed major new public park to the west of Leeds City Centre. The Kirkstall valley is one of Leeds’ best kept secrets, an under-used green space rich in industrial history and providing a haven for wildlife. The new park will be a vital community resource, providing accessible open space close to thousands of homes, offering sustainable commuting and opportunities for healthy activities to improve health and wellbeing. The floods of 2015 bought national attention to the area and with increasing public interest there has never been a better time to push forward the proposals to deliver benefits to surrounding communities, visitors, the environment and for economic development. Kirkstall Valley Park, along with other initiatives in the valley, can play a key role in achieving the Leeds Initiative of Best City in the UK by 2030.” Bernard Atha Chair of The Kirkstall Valley Park Board 2017 4 KIRKSTALL VALLEY PARK – A STRATEGY FOR DELIVERY Introduction Kirkstall Bramley and Stanningley KVP Armley LEEDS CITY CENTRE Kirkstall Valley Park Purpose of the Study Kirkstall Valley Park (KVP) is an area of green space to The Key Moves study has been commissioned by Leeds the west of Leeds city centre that lies in the valley of Beckett on behalf of Kirkstall Valley Park, sponsored the River Aire. KVP sits between the districts of Armley, and prepared by Arup. It aims to help push forward the Kirkstall and Bramley and comprises an amalgam of land development of Kirkstall Valley Park. The study looks which includes nature reserves, agricultural land, derelict to celebrate the existing site resources and features buildings, industrial infrastructure and parkland designed identifying where improvements need to be made and by Humphrey Repton. look at opportunities and potential for intervention. Although the park embraces some well cared for green The report identifies eight key strategic moves space, much is poorly maintained with limited access. It recommended to help unlock the park, making it more is heavily dissected by the Leeds-Skipton railway line, the accessible, usable and enjoyable to the public. The key River Aire and the Leeds-Liverpool canal making it difficult moves are priority projects/ initiatives which provide a to explore. Very few people are aware of this substantial foundation for further projects to go forward. area of open space immediately adjacent to the city centre so there is great potential to develop it as a place The document provides a clear narrative and common for far greater numbers of the public to use and enjoy. strategy for KVP captured in the strategy plan and Key This area also has potential to create an area of valuable Framework Moves to enable the board, other stakeholders linked green and blue infrastructure, that can help to and the community to jointly work towards as a means to deliver climate change adaptation for the city. concentrate their efforts in terms of generating funding, maneuvering volunteers and publicising the park. 5 KIRKSTALL VALLEY PARK – A STRATEGY FOR DELIVERY Headingley B6157 Kirkstall Lane Abbey Mills B6157 Bridge Road Hollybush Conservation Centre Leeds Rugby Academy Burley Road St Ann’s Mill Burley Park Nature Reserve A65 Kirkstall Road West Leeds Activity Centre Agricultural Canal Towpath Land Armley Ridge Road Golf Course River Aire Sub Station Gotts Park A647 Stanningley Road Public Golf Course Armley Mills Armley Park Allotments 6 KIRKSTALL VALLEY PARK – A STRATEGY FOR DELIVERY Kirkstall Valley Park Board Partnership Working The Kirkstall Valley Park Board (KVP) are a group of There are a number of other groups/ projects helping to interested parties which have been working for many shape and progress the park, including: years as a registered charity to develop the valley into a comprehensive public amenity for Leeds. The KVP Board • Kirkstall Valley Development Trust act as gatekeepers for KVP and consist of: • Kirkstall Valley Partnership • Kirkstall Valley Project • Leeds City Council • Kirkstall Eco Education Park (KEEP) • Yorkshire Wildlife Trust • Kirkstall Neighbourhood Forum • The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) • Groundworks Successful partnership working is essential to achieve the • Leeds Beckett University vision for KVP as it enables sharing of ideas, resources and • University of Leeds responsibility. The interest from such a breadth of parties • Leeds City College with a range of priorities is valuable. It will be important • Leeds Canoe Club that there is an overall vision for KVP that all parties can work towards and that a clear message is portrayed to the public. The diagram opposite illustrates key stakeholder/ community groups/ other interested parties but is not an exhaustive list. 7 KIRKSTALL VALLEY PARK – A STRATEGY FOR DELIVERY Sustrans Environment Agency Upper Aire Catchment Network Canal and River Trust Team Kirkstall West Yorkshire Local Nature Partnership (LNP) Yorkshire Water KIRKSTALL VALLEY Hub Natural England Kirkstall Regen Ltd Forestry Commission DEVELOPMENT TRUST KIRKSTALL Open Source Arts Ltd NHS A community BAM Nuttal Local Business Owners benefit society NEIGHBOURHOOD Environment Agency Leeds City Council Local Residents developing Abbey FORUM Leeds Permaculture Network Mills and a Centre Feed Leeds for Future Cities Neighbourhood Plan being Leeds Friends of the Earth prepared to give local residents Community Energy Groups Chris Hill Leeds Sustainability Institute more influence on new Kirkstall in Bloom development and local funds Aire Action Leeds Kirkstall Flood Cleanup Group (Team Kirkstall) Aire Valley Catchment Partnership KIRKSTALL ECO National Trust Wades Trust EDUCATION PARK Furthering the vision for KVP by investment in closed loop food production and micro generation schemes Tom Bliss Leeds Beckett University KIRKSTALL VALLEY PARK BOARD KIRKSTALL VALLEY Core Project Delivery Team PARTNERSHIP John Illingworth (Secretary) Councillor for Kirkstall Bernard Atha (Chair) Former Councillor and Mayor Environmental organisations hoping Kevin Ritchie Councillor for Bramley and to improve the parks and green Stanningley Ward spaces around Kirkstall Valley area Andrea Clarke Leeds City College Stephen Henderson Leeds Canoe Club Leeds City Council Chris Royffe Leeds Beckett University Groundwork Tom Bliss University of Leeds Kirkstall Valley Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Adrian Curtis Groundwork Project TCV Hollybush Caroline Thorogood Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Paul Quarmby John Preston TCV Hollybush Kirkstall Valley Park Board and Interested Parties 8 KIRKSTALL VALLEY PARK – A STRATEGY FOR DELIVERY Development History 1152 Lates 1700s 1928 Kirkstall Abbey Mills built by James Graham Golf course and Public Park founded Created by Leeds City Council. Early 1800s 1931 Benjamin Gott House and Grounds Kirkstall Power Station Gott was a major Leeds industrialist who The former fly ash lagoons occupied the mills and built a house and grounds have now been filled in designed by Humphrey Repton. and valley remains a major The site has a rich industrial and cultural history, traced back to the foundation of Kirkstall Abbey in 1152. During switching centre for the ARLY AND INDUST the 18th and 19th centuries the valley became a major E RIAL National Grid. centre for the woollen industry, and a complex network 1816 of weirs and goits were constructed alongside mills, many Leeds-Liverpool Canal completed. of which survive today. Leeds Industrialist, Benjamin Gott, 1950s-1970s commissioned Humphrey Repton to improve and enlarge T O Gotts Mansion and lay out the extensive parkland, which Land Acquisitions by Leeds City 1700-1800 W now includes the municipal golf course. The Leeds Council A Major centre for R Liverpool Canal was completed in 1816 to supply the 1972 D Woolen Industry S power station with coal and the former coal basin has Allocation of Playing Fields and Public A Weirs and goits been converted into a narrow boat marina. Open Space G constructed to supply R For area between River Aire and Kirkstall E The vision for a public park is deep rooted, with Kirkstall energy. E Road in the 1972 Development Plan Review. N Valley Park proposed in the Local Plan in 1980. The Kirkstall E 1980 R Valley Park Board was created to realise and promote S P the park and the vision has been shared with the public. KVP proposed in Local Plan A C Leeds Beckett University have undertaken feasibility work, 1983 E explored improvements to movement and circulation and The Kirkstall Valley Guide developed the concept of KEEP - Kirkstall Eco Education Published by the LCC Leisure Services Park. In addition numerous student projects have explored Department. the site and proposed ideas. 1988 The devastating floods of December 2015 bought Leeds Scheme for Nature Reserve wins 1st Prize and the Kirkstall area to national attention. Significant During European Year of the Environment investment is proposed to address flood risk and build flood resilience, providing opportunity to align with KVP. Late 1980s There has never been a better time to push the project EYE on the Aire forward. Organisation forms which campaign on water quality and St Ann's Mill 1970 wildlife issues,