Little London, Leeds
Encyclopedia
Little London, along with its adjacent areas Lovell Park
and Blenheim
, is an area of 1960s high-rise and maisonette council housing in inner-city north Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, England
, situated between the city centre and Sheepscar
.
It is home to a small population of students, although nowhere near as many as the more popular student areas such as Headingley
, Woodhouse, or Hyde Park
.
Little London will almost certainly become swallowed up by the ever expanding city centre. There are flats going up all around the area and there are plans in place to demolish the area surrounding Carlton Barracks to make way for more flats.
The 1960s-built council flats, stand high at around fifteen storeys, however they are now dwarfed by new private developments exceeding 20 storeys.
The 1960s council housing in the lower parts of Little London originally housed many of the people from nearby Woodhouse, where there was large scale demolition and slum clearance. The Woodhouse residents were originally going to be dispersed around Leeds but after a prolonged battle with the council, they won the right to move the short distance to the new Holborn Estate.
There are currently plans to demolish the housing in Little London (which is largely 1960s and 1980s built council housing). This will leave only the high rise flats which would be privatised, and sold on. There is criticism that these flats will be luxury, high specification flats that current residents will not be able to afford. This led to graffiti
in the area stating 'Hands off our Homes' and 'Yuppies Out'. The campaign and debate with Leeds City Council
is ongoing. The three Lovell tower blocks were saved from demolition and are currently undergoing work to raise standards to decency standard. The rest of the estate wait for a PFI scheme to finance refurbishment.
Tenants' groups have accused the council of benefiting wealthy city workers and property developers at their expense, while Leeds City Council
have accused left wing activists of misusing the campaign.
The area has a small shopping precinct with an Off Licence and various other shops. The areas most notable public house
, The Londoner (formerly The Little Londoner) closed in 2005 and was demolished in 2006, there is now a building exceeding 20 stories on the site of the former pub. This now leaves just two pubs, The Hobby Horse and The Leeds Rifleman. The Post Office closed in August 2008, despite a public campaign to save it.
The area backs onto the Sheepscar Interchange (a major road interchange between the A61
towards Harrogate
and the A58
towards Wetherby
) and the Leeds Inner Ring Road
. The Merrion Centre is also nearby.
s have been issued. This has cut drug dealing (which had become particularly problematic on and around Blackman Lane) and associated crime. The area was described as a haven for drug dealers in 2003.
Over the last few years Leeds City Council
have began moving residents out of homes. Two blocks of Carlton Towers are now completely uninhabited as are several smaller blocks of flats. This hasn't as yet affected the Lovell Park area of Little London. One block of Carlton Towers has now been fenced off. As yet the depopulation hasn't affected many businesses in the Little London area, with only the bookmakers having closed recently. The depopulation of the area has freed many on-street car parking spaces, some of which are being used by those visiting and working in the city centre
. The Lovell Park estate is noticeably the least run-down of the areas of Little London, perhaps due to the increase in population on the Lovell Park estate following the building of high-rise student accommodations on the opposite side of Lovell Park Road from the council flats.
Little London has few amenities in itself, there are two pubs, the Leeds Rifleman and the Hobby Horse in Lovell Park (the Londoner closed down and has since been demolished). There is a corner shop in Lovell Park and a parade of shops situated further north with a taxi office, hairdressers and several other shops. The close proximity of Leeds city centre, in particularly the Merrion Centre negates the need for many services to be situated on the estates of Little London. The growing student population of the Lovell Park area may in the future stimulate new amenities to be built.
Lovell Park
Lovell Park is an inner-city area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.Lovell Park along with its adjacent areas Little London and Blenheim, is an area of 1960s high-rise and maisonette council housing situated between the city centre and Sheepscar....
and Blenheim
Blenheim, Leeds
Blenheim is a small area of inner-city Leeds, West Yorkshire, EnglandIt is situated north of the city centre between Little London, Lovell Park and Woodhouse and is generally made of 1960s high-rise and maisonette council housing....
, is an area of 1960s high-rise and maisonette council housing in inner-city north Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, situated between the city centre and Sheepscar
Sheepscar
Sheepscar is an inner city district of Leeds in West Yorkshire England, lying to the north east of Leeds city centre. It is overlooked by the tower blocks of Little London and Lovell Park to the west, and gives way to Meanwood in the north-west, Chapeltown in the north-east and Burmantofts in the...
.
It is home to a small population of students, although nowhere near as many as the more popular student areas such as Headingley
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road...
, Woodhouse, or Hyde Park
Hyde Park, Leeds
Hyde Park is an inner-city area of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, situated between the University of Leeds and Headingley.It is mainly in the Hyde Park & Woodhouse ward, though some areas of what is often considered to be Hyde Park lie within the Headingley Ward . The boundary is...
.
Description
It has a brand new Children's Centre called ' Little London Children's Centre ' designed by Leeds Architects Bauman Lyons.Little London will almost certainly become swallowed up by the ever expanding city centre. There are flats going up all around the area and there are plans in place to demolish the area surrounding Carlton Barracks to make way for more flats.
The 1960s-built council flats, stand high at around fifteen storeys, however they are now dwarfed by new private developments exceeding 20 storeys.
The 1960s council housing in the lower parts of Little London originally housed many of the people from nearby Woodhouse, where there was large scale demolition and slum clearance. The Woodhouse residents were originally going to be dispersed around Leeds but after a prolonged battle with the council, they won the right to move the short distance to the new Holborn Estate.
There are currently plans to demolish the housing in Little London (which is largely 1960s and 1980s built council housing). This will leave only the high rise flats which would be privatised, and sold on. There is criticism that these flats will be luxury, high specification flats that current residents will not be able to afford. This led to graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
in the area stating 'Hands off our Homes' and 'Yuppies Out'. The campaign and debate with Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council is the local authority for the City of Leeds metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England.-History:The city council was established in 1974, with the first elections being held in advance in 1973...
is ongoing. The three Lovell tower blocks were saved from demolition and are currently undergoing work to raise standards to decency standard. The rest of the estate wait for a PFI scheme to finance refurbishment.
Tenants' groups have accused the council of benefiting wealthy city workers and property developers at their expense, while Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council is the local authority for the City of Leeds metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England.-History:The city council was established in 1974, with the first elections being held in advance in 1973...
have accused left wing activists of misusing the campaign.
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, The Londoner (formerly The Little Londoner) closed in 2005 and was demolished in 2006, there is now a building exceeding 20 stories on the site of the former pub. This now leaves just two pubs, The Hobby Horse and The Leeds Rifleman. The Post Office closed in August 2008, despite a public campaign to save it.
The area backs onto the Sheepscar Interchange (a major road interchange between the A61
A61 road
The A61 is a major trunk road in England. It runs from Derby to Thirsk in North Yorkshire. From Derby, it heads north via Alfreton, Clay Cross, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Barnsley, Wakefield, Leeds, Harrogate and Ripon...
towards Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
and the A58
A58 road
The A58 is a major road in northern England that runs between Prescot, Merseyside and Wetherby, West Yorkshire.It runs north east from Prescot on the outskirts of Liverpool via St Helens, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Hindley, Westhoughton, Bolton, Bury, Heywood, Rochdale and Littleborough then over the...
towards Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
) and the Leeds Inner Ring Road
Leeds Inner Ring Road
The Leeds Inner Ring Road is part-motorway and part-A roads in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which forms a ring road around the city centre. It has six different road numbers that are all sections of longer roads...
. The Merrion Centre is also nearby.
Crime
The area did have a bad reputation. However in recent years crime in the area has fallen. Problem tenants have been moved elsewhere and ASBOÅsbo
Åsbo can refer to:*Åsbo Northern Hundred, a hundred in Scania*Åsbo Southern Hundred, a hundred in Scania...
s have been issued. This has cut drug dealing (which had become particularly problematic on and around Blackman Lane) and associated crime. The area was described as a haven for drug dealers in 2003.
Depopulation
Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council is the local authority for the City of Leeds metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England.-History:The city council was established in 1974, with the first elections being held in advance in 1973...
have began moving residents out of homes. Two blocks of Carlton Towers are now completely uninhabited as are several smaller blocks of flats. This hasn't as yet affected the Lovell Park area of Little London. One block of Carlton Towers has now been fenced off. As yet the depopulation hasn't affected many businesses in the Little London area, with only the bookmakers having closed recently. The depopulation of the area has freed many on-street car parking spaces, some of which are being used by those visiting and working in the city centre
Leeds City Centre
Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...
. The Lovell Park estate is noticeably the least run-down of the areas of Little London, perhaps due to the increase in population on the Lovell Park estate following the building of high-rise student accommodations on the opposite side of Lovell Park Road from the council flats.
Amenities
Notable people associated with Little London, Leeds
- Will ScottWilliam Matthew ScottWilliam Matthew Scott , pen name Will Scott, was a British author of stories and books for adults and children, published from 1920 to 1965. Towards the end of his life he was best known for The Cherrys series, written for children and published between 1952 and 1965...
(1893−1964), author born at 128 Camp Road (now demolished and re-named Oatland Lane) - Frank Percy Wild, (1861–1950), artist,was born at 50 Camp Road