Knostrop Wharf gets protection
THOUGH the former British Waterways supported the initiative by Leeds City Council planners to protect the freight terminal at Knostrop on the Aire & Calder Navigation, Canal & River Trust objected to protection.
But the inspector's report has just been published and following some minor revisions the Inspector, Melvyn Middleton, has upheld the plan as ‘sound', David Lowe reveals.
Protection of wharves
Part of the Plan deals with protection of existing canal wharves (and other locations with wharf potential) in Leeds, including the former British Waterways (now CaRT) Leeds Inland Terminal at Old Mill Lane Knostrop.
British Waterways had initially supported protection of this site but this policy was reversed by Canal & River Trust owing to perceived ‘bad neighbour' issues affecting residents of the nearby recent Yarn Street development on the former Goodman Street and Hunslet wharves.
Could be resolved
The Inspector has ruled that such issues could be resolved remarking:
"This is a large site and it would be possible to screen a canal development from the housing and to locate any noisy aspects of such a development away from it. Its inclusion in the plan as a safeguarded inter-modal transfer site is therefore justified and effective as well as contributing to a requirement expounded by national policy."
The other existing protected wharves are at Haigh Park Road (now used by ASD Metal Services for storage) and the Fleet Oil Terminal.
Should not be sterilised
The Plan also protects a large CaRT site in Skelton Grange Road with potential for a new wharf which had been earmarked by British Waterways as a container terminal but could also be used for handling general cargoes and marine aggregates. The Inspector has ruled that protected sites should not be sterilised indefinitely, will be subject to five yearly review, and that under certain conditions activities not utilising water transport could be permitted.
It is expected that the Plan will be approved by Leeds City Council in February 2013.
As Chairman of the Commercial Boat Operators Association (CBOA) David Lowe commented:
"This is an excellent result and justifies the hard work of CBOA officers who have worked with Leeds City Planners on this project. We are grateful to the many CBOA members and others who have written to planners in support of this policy and this obviously impressed the inspector. It is now up to the industry, its customers, planners, and the Canal & River Trust to work together to maximise use of these facilities."