Councillor hits back at 'aggressive and abusive small minority' after road closure planter boxes vandalised
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The boxes have been put onto around 17 streets in Hyde Park over the past few days as part of a trial.
Councillors decided to take action after complaints about people using residential streets as rat runs, as well as boy racers speeding.
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Hide AdHyde Park and Headingley councillor Jonathan Pryor said: "Working with the highways department we put together some proposals that would tackle this dangerous and anti-social driving, and would also make it a lot safer for pedestrians walking though Hyde Park, and also take air pollution away from people’s homes.
"We know that inner city areas have some of the worst air pollution and bad health outcomes as a result so this was really important to tackle too.
"All streets are still completely accessible by car, but it essentially turns groups of housing into cul-de-sacs so dangerous driving is minimised."
Residents living in the streets were sent consultation documents eight weeks ago, and those who responded were "overwhelmingly positive".
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Hide AdThe emergency services were consulted and still have full access to all streets.
But within days of the boxes appearing, several had been targeted by vandals and pushed over.
Coun Pryor said: "We posted on our Facebook page that this new trial traffic management scheme was now in place and the response has been really mixed.
"A lot of people are hugely positive and so pleased that they can feel safer and healthier in the homes, some people like the idea but want a few changes, and some people were against the scheme.
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Hide Ad"Sadly a small minority became incredibly aggressive and abusive, and even threatened to vandalise the boxes.
"We then woke up to some criminal damage done to some of the plant boxes.
"This is unbelievably disappointing to see that just a small number of people think that their opinion is more important than everyone else’s, and further disappointing that they would vandalise things in our Hyde Park community."
Planters have been placed in Thornville Road, Pearson Avenue, Howden Place, Thornville Street, Alexandra Grove and the Norwoods, among others.
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