Not every civil engineering job ends with a road. This one started with removing one.
The left-turn junction at Stainbeck Lane onto Harrogate Road in Chapel Allerton was taken out entirely and replaced with a public space — paving, seating, new trees, and a Yorkshire stone wall built around an existing tree that was staying put regardless of what went on around it. Leeds City Council wanted something the local community could actually use, and that meant rethinking what the space was for from the ground up.
The Challenge
Removing a live traffic junction without causing chaos for local roads takes careful planning. The team had to keep access moving throughout while the works progressed. There was also the tree to consider — it was being incorporated into the design rather than removed, which meant working around it precisely at every stage rather than treating it as an obstacle to deal with later.
What We Did
The existing road was excavated and cleared to open up the footprint. From there, drainage went in first to make sure the finished space holds up in wet weather, then the hard landscaping followed — kerbs, high-quality paving, and the Yorkshire stone wall with integrated seating built around the retained tree. Three new tree pits were also added. Street furniture went in last, along with the final landscaping to tie the whole area together.
The stone wall with seating built into it is probably the detail that makes the space work. It gives people a reason to stop rather than just pass through, and it frames the existing tree in a way that feels considered rather than accidental.
The Result
Chapel Allerton now has a proper public space where there used to be a rarely-used left-turn lane. It’s designed to handle community events but works just as well on a quiet Tuesday. The drainage means it stays usable year-round, and the materials are built to last.
A road removed, a community space gained. Sometimes that’s the right call.
