I WISH to endorse the criticisms of your readers Naylor, Kennedy and all others who have pointed out the glaringly obvious (and casually dismissed) access problems of the Claypit Lane location for the proposed arena.
May I reintroduce a degree of lateral thinking to the situation, by referring our city fathers and planners to the YEP archives where (September 13, 2006) I proposed the largely disused Barnbow tank factory as the ideal site for redevelopment (at tha
t time, for the ill-fated casino).
The access advantages are self-evident. The mainline northern and eastern rail lines serve the site via Cross Gates station (merely 250 yards away), and visitors from the west and south have fast, convenient access via Leeds station – just one stop distant.
The imminently planned link road from Manston Lane to the M1 provides direct access to the site, the M1 already offers site access from north and south via the adjacent Thorpe Park junction. Fast municipal bus services could link Leeds bus station via the M621 and new M1 Junction 44.
Many acres of poor farming land are available to provide parking for the thousands of visitors wishing to attend arena events by car and by coach.
A little joined-up thinking reveals even more potential benefits from this proposal.
The Barnbow factory is Europe's largest single-span building, and was built just 15 years ago. Instead of demolishing it for housing, why not create exhibition halls to serve industry, commerce and culture – a veritable NEC of the North?
Vern Wood, by email
The full article contains 263 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
