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Leeds - TWA powers granted: Transport Minister Keith Hill has announced The Secretary of State's decision to make two Orders under the Transport and Works Act relating to West Yorkshire PTE and Leeds City Council's planned Supertram light rail system.

The first Order will enable the PTE and the Council to acquire land necessary to implement the Supertram route planned from the City Centre to the south of Leeds authorised by the Leeds Supertram Act 1993. This reinstates the compulsory purchase powers from the 1993 Act which had lapsed. It also includes powers to construct and maintain two new works, being realignments of Chadwick Street and Waterloo Street in the City of Leeds additional to the powers of the 1993 Act which apart from the compulsory purchase powers, now renewed, remains in force.

The second Order gives statutory powers for the construction and operation of proposed extensions from the City Centre to the north and east of Leeds, northwards through Headingley to Bodington and eastwards to Seacroft. As this latter Order would authorise compulsory acquisition of open space land for which no land is being offered in exchange by the promoters, it will need to be subject to a Parliamentary procedure before it can be brought into force.

Commenting on the decision to make these Orders, Keith Hill said :

"After giving very careful consideration to these proposals, we are satisfied that it would be in the overall public interest for the statutory powers sought by the promoters of the Leeds Supertram system to be given. We have also decided to give the related planning permission and listed building and conservation area consents that were applied for.

"We believe that the high quality public transport system offered by the Leeds Supertram would have considerable public benefits in improving accessibility to the City Centre and by providing an attractive alternative to the use of the car. We see the Supertram as playing an important part in supporting the Government's policy of promoting sustainable and integrated transport."

Note: The Public Inquiries for these TWA applications took place in the Spring of 1997.
21 December 2000

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