Residents have spoken of life in a village home to a prison and Leeds United’s training ground.
HMP Wealstun is a category C training and resettlement prison for adult men with a capacity for 832 inmates, and comprises of 10 residential units, and is located directly opposite the football club’s training facilities on Church Causeway, in the north Leeds village of Thorp Arch.
Locals have opened up about fireworks going off early in the morning when prisoners are released, the “nightmare” of visiting "soccer moms", and what it’s like bumping into the United stars with their “flashy” sports cars and G-wagons. The prison has said it has "sympathy" for concerns regarding fireworks set off by the inmates' family and friends outside prison grounds, and are working closely with police and the council to help "minimise disruption".
The small village, near to Wetherby, is over a thousand years old, appearing in the 1086 Domesday Book as ‘Torp’ which meant a hamlet. The later suffix ‘Arch’ stems from Osbern de Arches, a Norman who was granted the land after the Conquest in 1066.
Presently, it’s home to a trading estate, the prison, which was established in 1995, and the training ground which opened a year earlier. Locals have said much has changed in the past 15 years with a variety of newbuild estates being developed, notably Rochester Row which is situated a stone’s throw from the prison fence.
HM Prison Wealstun in Thorp Arch
HM Prison Wealstun in Thorp Arch (Image: Samuel Port)
Dad-of-two Nik Kossov, 59, has lived in the village for four years, after moving from Crystal Palace in South London. As a session musician, he wanted to live somewhere quiet so he could carry out and record his music in silence.
Nik says the prison is very quiet, describing it as “stone silent”, and that management run a tight ship. He says “you can tell when there’s a new cohort in” as it gets noisier but that only lasts a couple of days.
Speaking as an ex-prison officer, he said the prison staff and the governor were “absolutely brilliant”. Nik said: “You don’t know it’s there. The governor lets us use all the facilities outside the perimeter walls. So, you can go and have a picnic on the benches down there. You can use the visits shop because we don’t have a shop.”
Thorp Arch Grange which leads to Thorp Arch Training Ground (Image: Samuel Port)
As a staunch Arsenal fan, he has “no problem” with the players or the club, but that some issues stem from people taking their children to visit the training ground, namely “soccer moms” who cause a “nightmare” parking their vehicles.
Nik said: “The major problem that we have is when the ‘soccer moms’ come. Unfortunately, they pay no regard to the fact this is a village area and we all have drives, we don’t park on the road, and unfortunately, they decide to park all over the pavements and the verges. It is a complete nightmare. To be fair, Leeds United hierarchy do insist they move their cars.”
He said the players “don’t interact” with the villagers but added they were “very courteous” whenever he encounters them. He says most of the players drive around in big four-by-four type of cars. He added: “Not a single one of them boys drives over the limit!” He says they’re very thoughtful on the roads, giving residents the right of way, especially when exiting from the almost blind turning to the training ground.
'People set fireworks off'
Thorp Arch resident Kerry Fineron
Thorp Arch resident Kerry Fineron (Image: Samuel Port)
Kerry Fineron, 49, has lived in Thorp Arch for around 15 years, after purchasing a bungalow in the area, after moving from York. She said it’s a friendly place to live but has changed radically overtime – with the acres of fields surrounding her village now converted into new-build developments.
Speaking about the prison, Kerry said: “If anything, it makes the area safer. There’s a lot of cameras everywhere. Occasionally, you hear some shouting. There’s fireworks that go off sometimes. I think it’s when someone has been released. People come and park outside and set fireworks off. I’m not a firework fan, to be fair. We had a dog up until a few months ago and she hated fireworks.”
On the football stars, Kerry said: “You can hear them in the background training sometimes and the floodlights at night-time. A lot of the time, you see people stood at the end of the road, autograph hunters. There’s people clapping when something major has happened or tooting their horns going past. It’s pleasant.
“I wouldn’t know one [Leeds player] if I saw one, to be honest. There’s a lot of flashy cars so I’m sure that’s the players.”
The distance of the prison from the nearby homes
The distance of the prison from the nearby homes (Image: Samuel Port)
Rebecca, 27, has lived in the village for three years. She’s described it as a nice area to raise her three children, aged three, four and seven.
Speaking about the prison, Rebecca said: “It makes me feel safer knowing it’s there, to be honest. The CCTV plays a big part and knowing it has high security. I can hear them shouting but it doesn’t bother me.”
On the fireworks being let off, Rebecca said: “You hear them at 8.30 in the morning. It doesn’t bother me as it shows that they’re celebrating reuniting with their family, it’s nice.”
She’s seen players on foot and in their high-end cars which include G-Wagons, Porsches, and she says some even drive in foreign sports cars with left-hand drive.
Rebecca said: “I do see football players, particularly Pascal Strujik. My son’s got a picture with Dan James before. I see quite a few of them. Literally at the end of the street.
“When I drop the kids off to school on a morning, I see them around the training ground. It gives you a bit of a buzz. It’s exciting.”
Newbuild estate Rochester Row
Newbuild estate Rochester Row which neighbours the prison (Image: Samuel Port)
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “We understand residents’ concerns about fireworks being set off near the prison and have real sympathy for those affected.
“As this happens off prison grounds, we do not have the authority to stop it, but we are working closely with police and the council to help minimise disruption.”
HMP Wealstun holds regular engagement with local stakeholders, including residents, councillors, police and the local authority. The most recent meeting took place this week and feedback was positive and supportive of the prison’s approach. The Governor and senior team are accessible to the community through these regular meetings and ongoing liaison with local representatives, and encourage feedback.
The prison says it is aware of concerns about fireworks being set off in the area and is sympathetic to residents affected. Incidents are understood to occur infrequently (around once per month) and off prison grounds. But ultimately, they say responsibility for antisocial behaviour or inappropriate use of fireworks rests with the police.
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