Comments : STOP THE TROLLEYBUS !

Dennis Alexander on Trolleybus Accident RateOoh! Must stop going to Switzerland. They have lots and lots of trolleybuses there. I've obviously been putting myself in mortal danger. What a right load of old tosh this is.
Chris Green on Councillor Richard Lewis talks about Headingley, trees, Woodhouse Moor, and pollutionThose 5 to 1 trees will never compare to the trees that will be lost. They will be 5 year old trees replacing 150 year old trees. The liklihood is that many will never survive to maturity.
judith klaus on Price Waterhouse report says “Scrap trolleybuses”The only real question is why it is being pushed through in Leeds, why and who will benefit because it won't be the travelling public. Why spend all our money on a totally discredited system?
catherine corr on Stop the Cover-UpThankyou to the people who took the time to demonstrate on our behalf. It is a silly scheme and it will take a lifetime for the so called promised tree replacement shceme to look anything like the beautiful 100 year old trees that we have at present in Headingley.Apart from the terrible dissruption and the waste of space 2-3 minutes saved time supposedly that the trolley buses will have on the journey into town!!.
Keith Wilby on Stop the Cover-UpJust like throwing money down the drain.Trolleybuses are years out of date, and that is a proven fact.
mark hamill on A660 Joint Council Deputation against NGTHaving something is better than having nothing
mark hamill on A660 Joint Council Deputation against NGTTrolleybus the first of its kind in the uk. Something different new and modern showing leeds thinks for itself, creating interestment in our city, improving transport and regenerating areas. Jobs created, tourism increased ect.. ngt is welcome
mark hamill on A660 Joint Council Deputation against NGTLondon= major investment Birmingham= midland metro nottingham = net transit sheffield= supertram Manchester= metro system liverpool=metro rail newcalstle= metro light rail edinburgh= tram glasgow= underground blackpool= new tram upgraded Leeds? ? Nothing but overcrowded under invested first busses, need I say more?
mark hamill on A660 Joint Council Deputation against NGTLeeds is twenty years behind every major city in the uk when it comes to transport and ngt will help bridge the gap, its a way of bringing leeds into the 21st century. If the government doesn't spend the money in leeds they will happily spend the money in another city. We should welcome investment and the opportunity the move our city forward. The likes of woodhouse and hyde park corner are run down and in need of investment ngt will regenerate this are as has been proven in nottingham with the net system, think you people should wake up and move forward before leeds gets left behind and forgotten about
mark hamill on A660 Joint Council Deputation against NGTLeeds is 20 years behind every major city in the uk with transport, this city needs to move forward and ngt will help bring our city into the 21st century. If the money is not spent here the government will quiet happily spend it in another city, the fact is we should welcome investment
judith klaus on Councillor Richard Lewis talks about Headingley, trees, Woodhouse Moor, and pollutionWhen will they realise the ngt is the wrong scheme in the wrong place. To suggest models say less pollution is a total about turn having accepted it would cause more congestion. A violation of the moor and of listed buildings for a couple of minutes off a journey does not seem worth it. To kill mature tree in favour of a few saplings seems a pretty shoddy exchange too
judith klaus on The tree felling on Woodhouse Moor has begunHow do we stop this. Nothing should be done. There is a public inquiry supposedly
Jere on Installing trolleybus infrastructure is very simple and does not require removal of trees! The twin wires are strung 5.7 meters above the streets and there 350 cities worldwide have them. I don't understand what's the fuss about having a trolleybus system and why there is a need to tear down trees and buildings... baffled! Beijing, China has just opened a new trolleybus line this year and installed a stretch of new overhead wires for the route....no muss, no fuss and apparently the residents welcomed the move as trolleybuses are electrically powered thus, very clean and quiet. They like them in their estates as compared to diesel buses which are noisy! What's freaking wrong with those frogs-in-the-well from Leeds?? Zurich, Geneva, Milan and lots of other great European cities have trolleybuses too... they are awesome and well liked by their residents there.
ggeapin on He compares the opponents of the trolleybus to the Taliban. But who is Peter Connolly ?Ye Gods where do we get these idiots from,and they run the council The mind boggles. I wonder what qualifications they have ,The picure is like the three stooges.
ggeapin on He compares the opponents of the trolleybus to the Taliban. But who is Peter Connolly ?Its not only the Headingly residents.Leeds are in Debt to the tune of £1.433 billion pounds.and they pay £4 Million a year on this.The people who advocate the trolley bus are the same people who put the ratepayers money into Icelandic banks,No doubt this Peter Connelly is up with the latest technology in Ionic Liquids and nano technology which allows Battery buses to travel over 150 Km on one charge, and Battery cars have been entered in Formula 1 this yea rand the Chinese have a 36 MW storage battery.but I suppose he is a qualified engineer who is up date with the latest advances ,and over 2000 battery buses have been built and are operating
Ms B Arntsen on A660 Joint Council Deputation against NGTMr Kemp's presentation sums up my own thoughts about the proposed trolley bus, which I fear will destroy much that is attractive on its route, will be an environmental disaster and confer no advantages to Leeds residents but cost them dearly.
Ian Simpson on Labour councillors were whipped to vote for the trolleybusThe trolleybus scheme has many adverse effects on Headingley ward and gives virtually no benefit. I am disappointed that local coiuncilor Martin Hamilton for the Liberal Democrats abstained -our two remote Labour couincillors showed a lack of concern fror their constituents interests
Chris Green on This scheme is an awful waste of money. 7 Conservation areas, past over a hundred listed buildings and 400 mature trees!!! Leeds does need to do something but trolleybus is NOT the answer! This scheme does not intend to cut any traffic on this route and LCC has done nothing to reduce congestion in anticipation of such a scheme as ngt. there are plenty of other less sensitive routes and I for one don't wish to see Headingley Lane dessimated in the same way that all our other main routes into this city have been. Prepare for Headingley Lane to look like Kirkstall Road if this thing goes ahead. Can't we get swampy up here to stop them chopping our woodlands down!!!
Kathleen Mason on How our councillors voted on the 13th NovemberMore Councillors are "For" the Trolley Bus than "Against"??
Reinhold Behringer on I have thought about this Trolley Bus proposal, and I have come up with a different idea, which is much less intrusive and would save many of the old buildings and mature trees. Here are my thoughts about a "hanging train": http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8aHDmtcwr3-aXgta0ZhU09MeW8/edit?usp=sharing This is still "work in progress", and I am going to update that document with more information and details. Do you think that is a viable and feasible idea?
Andrew Batty on Can someone publish the names of Leeds councillors who voted in favour of this mad proposition. We should all make sure we support any other mainstream candidate next time round
Gwilym Thomas on It is so sad to see how many trees they are prepared to tear down to make way for this scheme. I can't believe that a few egotistical councillors who no doubt want to leave a "legacy" are prepared to rip the heart out of one of their most attractive areas. To hell with the community, to hell with the wildlife, to hell with Headingley as long as they get their shiny new project...
Kathleen.Mason on THE BROAD GRASS VERGE AND TREES ON THE MOOR THAT ARE UNDER THREATPlease say up to what date the moor was common land and on what date did its status change and what did the Moor then become?.
Kathleen.Mason on Conservation together with sensitive updating and improvement of transport services should I feel be at the centre of future plans anywhere but especially along this scenic artery.
Janet Bailey on METRO WANTS TO GRAB MORE OF THE MOORThat is just unbelievable. Wonder how many more un-consulted land grabs there will be (we have just had the one at the College of Art, land the College say is essential to them) The Consultation in general seems to have been a shambles, with the results of earlier Consultations (2008 to 2010 ONLY) published, but not the ones from 2011 to 2013 which show the growing public discontent to where almost no-one wants NGT, including the local Federation of Small Businesses and now MP Greg Mulholland. Listen to the Radio Leeds programmes in this blog to hear the level of disfavour and almost total lack of support from anyone except Metro (take Metro's claims in these broadcasts with a massive pinch of salt - even Metro knows their claims for the rapidity and usefulness of the trolleys are not borne out in their figures). We also had firm promises they would retain all the York Stone pavements through the Moor.
Geoff Ankers on This is not about making travel easier for the people of Leeds, in fact it has nothing to do with helping the travelling public of Leeds. Once again it's all to do with some people making money, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. These people are helping themselves to our money (once again) and don't give a stuff about helping the public. Don't let them get away with it.
mr and mrs o'hara on A660 Joint Council Deputation against NGTWetotally agree. This scheme will no way improve the situation, it will make it more dangerous, again Otley Old Road traffic will divert Through Spennithorne Drive a total disaster.
Mr & Mrs Frank Chadwick on A660 Joint Council Deputation against NGTWe totally agree with the presentation made by Mr Doug Kemp about the unnecessary and extremely expensive NGT trolleybus scheme, which would be detrimental to whole areas of the route.
Mr M Wright on A660 Joint Council Deputation against NGTThis Trolleybus scheme will encourage local traffic to divert through Kingsley drive/avenue also Broomfield / Whinfield etc..creating a local ' RAT Run ' The scheme will not improve the traffic bottleneck at Headingley or Hyde Park Yours Faithfully M.M. Wright
Michael O'Donnell on I agree that Leeds is far behind other, including smaller European cities. Most of them have impressive underground systems. Why can't Leeds do something similar and avoid the environmental damage of the old technology trolley-bus system? Perhaps the costs could be met by a Bond with interest payments secured on the revenues.
North Leeds Life on According to LCC 70% of people are in favour - funnily enough neither I, nor anyone I know, has come across anyone who is! It will be a disaster for small businesses along the route.
North Leeds Life on Oh you are so right! Please make sure you register your concerns before 1st Nov
North Leeds Life on I think most people would agree with you. Leeds public transport does need to be updated and improved but opting for a Trolleybus system seems to be taking a step back. More and more cities are abandoning such systems. New and better systems are being introduced all the time. Leeds does need to be bolder and to push for plans that take in the serious concerns of its citizens and businesses.
North Leeds Life on The A660 is the only remaining attractive road out of Leeds - Scott Hall Road was decimated by its guided bus system that buses chose not to use, and Kirkstall Road has been turned into a concrete jungle too!
North Leeds Life on LCC has received £173M from central government for a new 'bus-based' system. According to the Council the project will cost £250M........at the moment. This is likely to escalate. Where this extra money is going to come from no one is saying, but I should imagine it will entail more redundancies and more services cut.
Chris Whitworth on I agree Jim. I now live in Poland -overall they probably do it slightly better.. But Leeds needs something. Its chaos! My concern is that if this initiative is stopped it wont be replaced. There are much better ideas -close the A 660 to all traffic for a start, but the vested interests wont do it!
Simon Dale on Why is it that LCC are able to find the funding for this purpose. When they're actively reducing employee posts in order to comply with government saving requirements?
Alison Thomas on The trolleybus is a crazy waste of money. The bus service is perfectly good.
F Dickson on I believe 400 mature trees are going to be chopped down!!, more congestion and less actual seats (between buses and trollies) than we have now in buses! oh yes a little matter of £250million. who thinks up these hair brain schemes???? I love the beautiful trees, it is all part of the headingley experience as you come out of the concrete jungle of the city centre, and see the calming green giants.
Eleanor Walsh on This is appalling - to lose the trees and atmosphere of this beautiful area for an inappropriate and ineffective technology which will not improve travel times or traffic amounts.
jim wild on I am sad at the loss of trees. I am sad for the changes that will be wreaked upon the historic amenity. What troubles me however is that I also spend enough time in other major cities to know Leeds is being seriously left behind in regards to investment in better amenity and infrastructure projects that make modern cities vibrant and great places to live. Is the consensus view on this site that the a660 should just stay as it is? I hear no alternatives being proposed. I will have to read up on the Sheffield super tram lessons, was that a disaster? I feel Leeds is not bold enough with plans and ambitions and we should be pushing for better plans that take account of the concerns we have, and also look forward 10 & 20 years to delivering progress across the city.
michelle pepratx-Evans on out-of-date technology! to replace a good bus service ?, Could the 'City Fathers who erected the luxurious but inappropriate Department of Health offices Carbuncle- alias 'the Kremlin'-, also amazingly invented a uniquely unfit-for-purpose self shrinking international swimming pool, besides achieving the 'WRONGLY SITUATED' YEP monstrosity..., be trusted to deploy their ILL-CONCEIVED CREATIONS throughout the green corridor of our vibrant city ,in the guise of a non-state-of-the -art trolleybus? I think not : WORSE THAN A CRIME THE PLAN IS A MISTAKE
Dianne Newby on Yes, wrong scheme wrong place but this is yet another disaster in the name of ‘progress’ Which genius grants planning permission for such wholesale destruction?
Lorraine Nelis on It is heart-breaking to even contemplate the wholesale destruction of all that is beautiful about Headingley to Weetwood. There are no other green spaces in Headingley whatsoever. The impact on the wildlife, biodiversity mature trees and meadows would be an horrendous sacrifice for an obselete transport system. Conservation protection orders should not be over-turned by philisitine developers who have no soul.
Alan Mann on Do we not have a statement from Friends of the Earth about the lost of so many well established trees? I can see myself doing some tree hugging here.
Christine Hanlkinson on so much potential destruction for so little gain except in money from the government to the council It must be stopped.
John Pelham on The wanton destruction of these historic trees will completely change the nature of the whole area and cannot be justified by a scheme that simply isn't necessary. Bus services on the route are perfectly adequate. If the bus operators were required to upgrade their out-of-date stock the "amenity" argument for the trolleybus scheme falls. Surely the Sheffield Supertram lesson should have been learnt by now?
C Green on I think there will be more than this actually at Lawnswood. So much destruction for an incredibly well served public transport route (in the north at least) To do this and to not affect the present car use is disgraceful and we must stop this.
Sue Nadin on think this is a total waste of money , and hope that there are enough protestors and opposition to prevent this from going ahead .
Judith Klaus on This is disgraceful. We need to get everyone to realise the extent of the destruction and disruption and have them object. The number of planning apps in a very short distance in a conservation area makes it blatently obvious that this is the wrong scheme in totally the wrong place
Stuart Welsh on It's unbelievable the carnage involved in partially replacing the existing routes with fairly elderly foreign technology. Is nobody listening to reason?
Gillian Tong on Although replanting of trees is proposed it will on no way make up for the loss of the character to the areas of which the mature trees to be axed are a part. This scheme will completely change the atmosphere of the conservation areas it passes through. What is the point of granting conservation status if schemes like this can ride rough shod through them!
C Green on He compares the opponents of the trolleybus to the Taliban. But who is Peter Connolly ?Isnt this the same Peter Connolly who has a serious amount to gain from ngt going past the sites he owns! As i recall he also came up with some hair brained scheme to move the crown pub as part of his silly tetley redevelopment plans.
Lorraine Nelis on He compares the opponents of the trolleybus to the Taliban. But who is Peter Connolly ?"Taliban! Infadels," What a ridiculous analogy! The simple fact is that the over-whelming majority of Headingley residents are opposed to the Trolley Bus for many reasons. We are articulate and intelligent people and feel that any opposing views are being ignored whilst we will be expected to pay for the scheme. "Well compensated?" Let those in favour have the 'Folly Bus' in their front gardens! My greatest angst is the impact on the wildlife and biodiversity. THERE ARE NO MORE GREEN SPACES LEFT IN HEADINGLEY. We have been developed to death! Those of us who are not in adulation of concrete will continue to oppose it and take the moral high ground.
Paul Marchant on Trolleybus Protestors on Dortmund SquareThanks so much to those trying to stop this mad scheme .... I spoke to one of paid NGT protagonists & I was reminded of the Upton Sinclair (1878-19868) quote; "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!" I wonder how much has already been spent in trying to inflict this expensive & destructive scheme on the citizens of Leeds.
Christine Perry on Kevin Grady – a watchdog who doesn’t always guard us wellDefinitely a bad decision to support NGT Trolleybus Scheme. A Scheme suited to the wide streets of European cities not Leeds. To accommodate T/Bus - road widening, 400 mature trees felled. Irreversible destruction beyond belief on the A660. C.P.O.'s of gardens in West Park. What is Dr. Grady thinking of to support such action.
Michael Kensington on Large audience attends Civic Hall trolleybus meetingI think the trolley bus is an excellent idea why stop plans because some woman wants to keep horses at the moment Headingley needs jobs the trolley bus will provide thousands of jobs and quick and easy access to all areas making daily life easier for all walks of life from the employed to the tourists/visitors and probably minimise the use of other. Transport for example buses and coaches saving carbon emissions which helps the environment as well there's only two arguments against this trolley bus and both are ridiculous the first a woman wanting to keep horses PATHETIC and the second to save the greenery well like I stated before less buses, coaches and other transport less carbon emissions which means healthier planet if u want greenery or horses go to the country side its a city not a village. If this plan is ruined all because of a bunch of horses and false facts then ill be very disappointed!
Lorraine Nelis on Residents Who Would Be Harmed By A Headingley Trolleybus BypassThe beautiful meadow featured in this footage is one of three wonderful fields where I tend my much-loved horses. It is the last vestige of the original Headingley Moor which was sold to Hinsley Hall by Henry the VIII. It boasts an amazing biodiversity which would be ruined forever. There are owls, bats, tree creepers, woodpeckers, visiting red kites, sparrow hawks, song thrushes, a wide variety of tits and finches, deer, foxes, bees and much more. I have devoted my heart and soul to the horses and the land which, I have treated with the greatest respect and reverence. It is a place of calm and peace. A much needed respite from the maddening crowd. A true sanctuary for all that know and visit it. It is indeed the real hertiage for future generations. An out-dated 'Follybus' with little retro appeal will devastate and ruin all that is worthwhile. It really is conceptually flawed and nothing more than a pathetic and expensive tax-payers vanity project for councillors and MP's alike who, should be reminded who pays their wages. They were elected by the people, for the people so why do they not listen to the people who do not over-whelmingly want it?
Beth Hillyard on How New Generation Transport May Affect Property PricesLondon - Crossrail 26 miles of state of the art underground costing the taxpayer £4.7 billion with any overspend not funded by the local taxpayer. Leeds - NGT a trolley bus - old technology. Destroying the local area. Costing the taxpayer £173.5 million with any overspend funded by the local taxpayer. So there is no North South Divide!
Lorraine Nelis on How New Generation Transport May Affect Property PricesDear Mr Moore. I keep horses on the beautiful Headingley Moor at Hinsley Hall and have tended both the rescue horses and the land with greatest reverence and respect. It is a wonderful pastoral retreat from the hectic thoroughfare through Headingley. It is a conservation area that boasts myriads of birds some of whom are protected such as the woodpeckers. There are colonies of bats which once again are protected. In the twilight hours deer graze with the horses and foxes slink around the fields. There are vast numbers of listed mature trees who have seen the centuries come and go. The land was originally owned by the monks of Kirkstall Abbey and was sold during the reign of Henry the VIII to Hinsley Hall. It is pastoral heaven and is quietly enjoyed by large numbers of people as a respite from tourist destination that Headingley has become. I feel distraught beyond words that all this could be bull-dozered down and ruined. I fear for the future of the horses that I have devoted my life to and have worked long hours to financially afford it. I tend these fields at hours and in all weathers. They and the landscape are all that is worth living for. The route should not be allowed through this land which should remain protected and conserved from any development. This legacy is the only one worthwhile handing down to future generations. The designers of this route to even think of its ruination are utterly morally bankrupt. No-one wants this Follybus and no-one is listening. Some residents feel suicidal. It has got to be stopped. Yours faithfully, Lorraine Nelis
Peter Bollada on Large audience attends Civic Hall trolleybus meetingThe main competitor to the trolley bus scheme seems to be leave the current "transport" system as it is. Some people want cycleways (I do); some want trams on rails; some want more trains; some want battery buses; some people think that trees are the most important consideration; some think housing prices for those lucky enough to have one should be the priority; some think that gardens are the priority; some think that traffic restrictions are the way forward; some think that there should be more stops; some think that saving money in hard times is the priority... the list goes on. In reality the real alternative to the trolley bus scheme is do nothing at all. If this anti-trolley bus campaign is successful this will be the most likely result, at least for the next decade.
Judith Klaus on Large audience attends Civic Hall trolleybus meetingPlatitudes and these people are not listening. They are peddling falsehoods about jobs and journey times, they want to ruin our area and saddle us with an expensive obsolete system. If necessary we will have to be out on the streets. This scheme is ridiculous and must be stopped.Leeds deserves a real public transport system. We should be using the rail system more and link it into an underground. That really would kick start the city economy.
Lorraine Nelis on Large audience attends Civic Hall trolleybus meetingIt is pleasing to learn that the good folk of Headingley, Hyde Park and West Park are standing together in solidarity to oppose the ludicrous, out-dated, destructive and utterly unpopular aptly coined 'Follybus'. Fight the good fight!