'Community in crisis' - Leeds red light zone report by Voice of Holbeck gives residents' views on Managed Approach impact

Commissioned by the Voice of Holbeck, the Listening Well Report sets out numerous testimonies from residents who talk about the ways in which the Managed Approach (MA) has left them feeling unsafe in their own community, the impact of anti-social behaviour associated with the scheme's operation, and the way that Holbeck is now viewed as a result.

It paints of a picture of what it is like to live in an area where witnessing sex acts, being approached by kerb crawlers or sex workers, and children finding used condoms has become part of daily life.

And it challenges council decision-makers to take action on more than 50 recommendations covering topics such as policing, improving safety and providing more resources to help women leave street sex work behind.

Voice of Holbeck member John Leckenby, a resident of more than 45 years, said: "If you read this report, you'll see a community in crisis. The number of people who say they live in fear is absolutely appalling.

"We want the best for the women and men involved in prostitution, and we want the best for the community."

The report, compiled by Leeds Beckett University, is the first study to focus on the experiences of residents living close to the industrial streets where the MA has operated since 2014.

It is the result of surveys and community events - many attended by local councillors - that were held between February 2019 and February 2020, with more than 500 different people taking part.

The original intention had been to publish the report at the same time as an independent review commissioned by Leeds City Council, which last year concluded that the MA was "more effective" than any other approach to on-street sex work.

The scheme allows sex workers to operate on certain non-residential streets in Holbeck and within agreed hours without fear of arrest.

But the accounts set out in the Listening Well Report suggest that there is much more to be done to achieve the MA's stated aims, which include lessening the problems that on-street sex work creates for residents and local businesses.

Bill Birch, a resident and member of Voice of Holbeck, said: "The very basis on which that zone has been operating since 2014, it has failed on every count.

"I think any [other] policy that had failed as comprehensively as this would be abolished long ago."

Dennis Kitchen, who chairs Holbeck Neighbourhood Forum, added: "We hope the report will help them to evolve the MA. One of things we're want to do is put the emphasis on stopping the kerb crawlers, the people who are predatory."

Coun Debra Coupar, Leeds City Council’s executive member with responsibility for Safer Leeds, said residents and the local community "remain at the forefront of all our thinking" and all comments on the scheme were welcome.

"We remain absolutely committed to listening, learning and engaging with all stakeholders and the wider community of Holbeck regarding the Managed Approach," she said.

"We are aware that a ‘Listening Well’ report undertaken into the Managed Approach has now been published. Our assurance to the people of Holbeck is that we continue to be ready and willing to take any steps that are required now and in the future, to make further improvements if necessary to our strategic and operational approach.

"With partners, we will be assessing closely the findings of this report, as we do with all feedback received on this issue. From our perspective, we are continuing to consider all of the recommendations set out in an Independent Review of the Managed Approach that was published last year. Once this work is completed, a formal update and response will be provided in terms of how we plan to move forward."

What is the Managed Approach?

Begun as a pilot by the Safer Leeds community partnership in 2014, the Managed Approach (MA) allows sex workers to operate on certain non-residential streets in Holbeck and within agreed hours without fear of arrest.

The aims from the outset have been to reduce the prevalence of street-based sex working, lessen the problems it creates for residents and local businesses, and better engage with the women involved to improve their safety and health.

Dubbed the country’s first ‘legal’ red light zone, the scheme has attracted intense national media interest since the murder of sex worker Daria Pionko in 2015 and been the subject of a BBC Three documentary series.

It has has also provoked extensive debate over the years, with residents staging regular protests in 2018 amid rising anger over littering and soliciting creeping into residential areas.

Measures taken to mitigate the impact in recent years include a dedicated incident reporting number, designated police resource, and additional attention from council street cleaning teams both inside the zone where the MA applies and in surrounding streets.

In 2019, Leeds City Council commissioned an independent review by academics at the University of Huddersfield to examine how the MA had developed since its introduction and whether it should continue.

The findings were published in July 2020, with the conclusion being that it was "more effective at reducing the impact of problems associated with on-street sex working than any other approach or model".

However, review lead Professor Jason Roach stressed that the approach must continue to evolve and adapt.