'Village green' for the weekend!
The Methleys is a traditional red-brick neighbourhood with back-to-back and terraced houses built at the turn of the century. With tiny gardens and no green spaces, the streets themselves are the only public places.
The Methleys has a lively and active community.Methleys Neighbourhood Action is a residents' group that has been making plans to re-develop the streets to make them safe and friendly places for people as well as cars.
But why the grass? Adrian Sinclair, one of the members of the group explains:"From our consultation with residents, a lot of people were saying that they would like the Methleys to be a greener place, with safer places for children to play and slower traffic.We thought we would try it out to see what it would be like if one of our streets was a field instead of tarmac!"
With all the residents on the street agreeing, the group obtained support from INTURF, a York-based company who supply turf for Wembley and Wimbledon.Methley Terrace will become Methley Green for the weekend and the Methleys will become a 'Home Zone' for the week with a 10mph speed limit.
A whole range of events is planned for the 'Green' from egg and spoon races to brass bands, circus skills to barbecues. And on the Saturday evening residents will move to another street to sit out and watch the movie, Strictly Ballroom - projected out of a child's bedroom onto a specially painted gable end.With a few fireworks as a finale, it's back to Methley Green for a neighbourhood camp out.
At the end of the weekend, the turf is being offered to residents to improve their gardens. Any left over will be taken by the Parks Department for use on the city's sports grounds and playing fields.
It should be a weekend to remember.
ENDS ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Residents of a Leeds inner city neighbourhood are laying eight hundred square metres of turf on one of their streets this weekend to create their very own 'village green'.They are then planning a whole series of events - from a traditional fete to an open air cinema - under the banner of "On the Streets 96".