Highways chiefs have been criticised for refusing to close a road to allow for a street party over the Coronation weekend.
Residents on Adel Lane, in north-west Leeds, want a section of the road shut on May 7, the day after King Charles is officially crowned. But speaking at a community committee, local Conservative councillor Barry Anderson accused bosses of being “pedantic” in turning down the request.
Leeds City Council said the road was too busy to close and insisted it was following government guidance for the Coronation in reaching the decision. Adel Lane is set to close, in full, on the following Sunday for the Rob Burrow Marathon.
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Councillor Anderson said that while he fully supported that closure, the same criteria should apply to the Coronation weekend. Speaking at the committee meeting, he said: “I’m having a run-in with (the) highways (department) at the moment over closures for the Coronation.
“They’re determined to argue that one street is so busy you can’t close it.”
Under the proposal put forward by Councillor Anderson and the community, Adel Lane would be closed between the recreation ground car park and the road’s junction with St Helen’s Lane. That stretch would measure around 350 yards.
Addressing highways officers directly, he added: “We’re allowing this (marathon) route to go through and have the road closed and yet you won’t allow, for the Coronation, the same street to be closed.”
Councillor Anderson claimed council officers had insisted the community pay for a traffic assessment before the issue could be considered, but questioned why this would have to be done if Adel Lane is to close for the race the following week.
He also referred to recent comments from Communities Secretary Michael Gove, who’s urged councils to “cut red tape and be as flexible as possible” in allowing street parties to take place.
Coun Anderson added: “You’ve had the government guidance which says, ‘stop being so pedantic’.” He later insisted that under the proposal, the road would only be closed for a few hours.
But in response, a council spokesperson said: “The government guidance for organising street parties describes the locations for them to take place on ‘quiet residential roads, block of flats or local green spaces’.
“In other words, preferably culs-de sac and recreation grounds, negating the need for organisers to fund expensive and extensive traffic signing and barriers.
“Adel Lane is clearly outside this guidance, as it acts as a distributor road in the local road network with more than 4,000 vehicles using the road per day.”
On its arrangements for the marathon, the local authority added: “The Leeds Marathon is the largest single event the council will be staging this year and involves a very comprehensive traffic management plan with extensive signing, guarding and marshalling arrangements and high-level organisation which includes internal and external agencies and all blue light emergency services.
“The comprehensive traffic management plan to close Adel Lane and all other roads along the route for the marathon has been submitted by a professional traffic management contractor and has been months in the planning.”
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