Blight on impressive cityscape in one fell swoop

Leeds is a great city which I admire and respect immensely as I studied and qualified as a chartered engineer there. I worked for some time for the city’s engineering section on the design of buildings and bridges.

Now retired, I visit the city regularly to shop and enjoy walking around to try to keep up to date with an ever changing scene.

I am impressed with the new Trinity shopping area but think that it should have been fully enclosed to the weather. The plans for the proposed new Victoria Gate shopping and office complex are impressive, although I feel it is a shame that the Millgarth police building will not remain. It is only around 40 years old and was state of the art when built. The external brickwork appears to be as good as new – what a waste of public money.

Last week I was in the Globe Road area that has seen much regeneration near to the river and canal behind the railway station. I visited the old foundry area where Welcome to Yorkshire and other businesses are now situated – an interesting area, being a good example of new uses for former industrial buildings.

Later, while passing the Queens Hall council car park in Sovereign Street, I was shocked to observe that 14 mature trees – approximately 300mm in diameter – had recently been cut down for no apparent reason.

Eighteen trees remain which are just coming into leaf. Why and who has cut these trees down, and is the council aware or is it responsible for this seemingly wanton destruction?

It is up to us all to observe what is going on to protect our heritage and landscape and those who live and work in that area should keep a watch on the trees that remain. Trees help to attract birds and make our towns and cities much more pleasant places to visit, work and to live in.