Alleygating is in the news again. It is a priority for the newly appointed CROW officer of Leeds City Council.

Alleygating is a means of closing ginnels and cut-throughs as a crime-prevention measure. Many residents will be happy to see gates put on each end of the ginnel as this will give them some confidence and allow them to take back control of their streets. Look at the Leeds City Council website for more information.

Your committee has spotted that there have been some applications to close ginnels that lead on to footpaths, effectively closing the access to the footpath. We are not against Alleygating but we are against closing footpaths which have been used by local residents to access green spaces near their homes.

We will be discussing this matter with the new CROW officer and keeping our eyes and ears open to ensure that these powers are not abused.

If you have any comments about Alleygating, why not post your thoughts on our message board.