Editing Seacroft

{{Short description|Suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England}}
{{about|the area of Leeds|the village in Lincolnshire|Seacroft, Lincolnshire}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox UK place
| country                  = England
| coordinates              = {{coord|53.8222|-1.4599|display=inline,title}}
| official_name            = Seacroft
| pushpin_map              = United Kingdom Leeds
| population               = 14,246
| population_ref           = (2011 Census)<ref>53 Super Output Areas within the Killingbeck and Seacroft ward make up Seacroft http://ukcensusdata.com/killingbeck-and-seacroft-e05001430#sthash.8wFY4n3n.vrLNgl3N.dpbs.dpbs</ref>
| metropolitan_borough     = [[City of Leeds]]
| metropolitan_county      = [[West Yorkshire]]
| region                   = Yorkshire and the Humber
| constituency_westminster = [[Leeds East (UK Parliament constituency)|Leeds East]]
| post_town                = LEEDS
| postcode_district        = LS14
| postcode_area            = LS
| dial_code                = 0113
| os_grid_reference        = SE362365
| static_image_name        = Seacroft from Fearnville 001.jpg
| static_image_caption     = Seacroft from Fearnville
}}

'''Seacroft''' is an outer-city suburb/township consisting mainly of [[council estate]] housing covering an extensive area of east [[Leeds]], [[West Yorkshire]], England. It lies in the LS14 [[LS postcode area|Leeds postcode area]], around {{convert|4|mi|km}} east of [[Leeds city centre]].

It sits in the [[Killingbeck and Seacroft (ward)|Killingbeck & Seacroft]] ward of [[Leeds City Council]] and [[Leeds East (UK Parliament constituency)|Leeds East]] [[United Kingdom Parliament constituencies|parliamentary constituency]].

The population of the corresponding Leeds City Ward was nearly 18,000 in 2001<ref name=ONS>[http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/ Office for National Statistics] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106173813/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/ |date=6 January 2009 }} 2001 census for Seacroft ward 17,725 on 29 April 2001</ref> and fell to 14,426 in 2011.  The name is often used as a catch-all for Seacroft and the neighbouring areas of [[Whinmoor]] and [[Swarcliffe]], other large east Leeds council estates which merge into each other.

Seacroft includes one of the largest council estates in the country and Yorkshire's second-largest council estate, after [[Bransholme]] in [[Kingston upon Hull]]. The latter, however, was part of [[Humberside]] county from 1974 to 1996.  Because of its size, Seacroft has often been referred to as a town.  The original vision, envisaged by the council, was that it would be a 'Town within the City Limits', and the Seacroft Civic Centre was often referred to as the 'Seacroft Town Centre'.<ref name=Leodiaerial>[http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=200862_166842 Leodis photographic archive] Seacroft Town Centre, aerial view</ref>

==Etymology==
The name ''Seacroft'' is first attested in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086, as ''Sacroft'' and ''Sacrofft''; the spellings ''Secroft'', ''Secrofte'' are attested around 1090 (surviving in a manuscript of 1403). The name comes from the [[Old English]] words {{lang|ang|sǣ}} ("large body of water") and {{lang|ang|croft}} ("enclosure"). Thus the name once meant "enclosure near a pool or marsh".<ref name=":0">A. H. Smith, ''The Place-Names of the West Riding of Yorkshire'', English Place-Name Society, 30–37, 8 vols (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1961–63).</ref>{{rp|iv 121}}

In vicinity of Seacroft was once found the field-name ''Chetwde'', attested in 1341, which is unusual among English names for deriving partly from [[Common Brittonic]]: its first element is the word found today in modern Welsh as {{lang|cy|coed}} ("woodland"). The second element, added after Brittonic ceased to be understood in the region is the English word ''wood'', making the name tautological in meaning.<ref name=":0" />{{rp|iv 122}}

==The Green==
Seacroft was at one time a small village between Leeds and [[York]]. The [[village green]], known as "The Green" still exists, and is one of the oldest in the country.  It has the Cricketers Arms pub on the north side and St James parish church (built 1845, architect T. Hellyer) on the south side. [[John Wesley]] preached on The Green, and as a result a Wesleyan Chapel ([[Methodist]] Church) was built close by.<ref name=Meth>[http://www.leedsrhmethodist.org.uk/page23.htm Leeds Methodist website] Seacroft Methodist Church</ref> Seacroft Green has an [http://www.seacroftgreen.org.uk active residents' association].
<gallery>
File:The Green, Seacroft 11 Sep 2017.jpg|The Green
File:SeacroftGreenHouses.jpg|Houses on The Green
File:CricketersArms2009.jpg|The Cricketers Arms, The Green
File:StJamesSeacroft09.jpg|St James's Parish Church (C of E), The Green (1845)
</gallery>


==History==
{{See also|History of Seacroft}}

===Seacroft village===
[[File:Seacroft Village1.jpg|thumb|right|Areas of the original Seacroft village]]
Seacroft village is mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] (1086).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://opendomesday.org/place/SE3535/seacroft/|title=Seacroft {{!}} Domesday Book|website=opendomesday.org|access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref>  Evidence of much earlier inhabitation was found during construction of the estate in the 1950s. A stone axe dating from the [[Neolithic]] age (3500–2100&nbsp;[[Before Christ|BC]]) was found on Kentmere Avenue.  In addition, two silver Roman coins were found on The Green in the 1850s.<ref name=Weldrake>{{cite web|last=Weldrake |first=David |url=http://www.seacrofttoday.co.uk/yourseacroft/Seacroft-History.1794815.jp |title=Seacroft History – Seacroft Today |publisher=Seacrofttoday.co.uk |access-date=28 December 2008}}</ref>
[[File:Seacroft Grange 11 Sep 2017.jpg|right|thumb|Seacroft Grange in 2017]]
Seacroft village is the original part of Seacroft, around The Green and Cricketers Arms (pictured above), and is often referred to today.  Seacroft Hall was built in the 17th century by the Shiletto family incorporating extensive landscaping and parkland. Despite being a [[listed building]], the hall was demolished in the 1950s. The original entrance lodge still stands on York Road, with Parklands School on South Parkway now occupying the location of the hall.<ref name="SCPC"/>  There is one shop in the area that was originally Seacroft Village, a small village off licence, which has been built since the building of the estate.

Seacroft Grange was built in 1627 for the Tottie family and is also known as '''Tottie Hall'''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://home.freeuk.com/seacroft/sctop.htm|title=History of the Village: Photographs (surviving buildings)|work=Seacroft Village Preservation Society|access-date=24 September 2009}}</ref> It is a grade II listed building, along with its service buildings.<ref name=ioe>{{NHLE |num=1255897 |desc=The Grange, The Green, Leeds |access-date=24 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{NHLE |num=1255898 |desc=Coach house and service range to The Grange, The Green, Leeds |access-date=24 September 2009}}</ref> Although the English Heritage record says it was rebuilt in 1837<ref name=ioe /> other sources record the building as original, noting that in 1837 the new tenant John Wilson renamed it to Seacroft Grange and set his coat of arms over the door.<ref name=lhj>{{cite journal|title=Seacroft Grange: Built in the 17th century for the Tottie family – what does the future hold?|journal=Leeds History Journal|volume=13|issn=1740-5696|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/3349072537/sizes/o/in/set-72157605819485965/}}</ref> The building included a celebrated late 17th century staircase thought to have been brought from [[Austhorpe Hall]].<ref name=ioe /> It is now part of Seacroft Grange Care Village.<ref name=SGCV>{{cite web |url=https://seacroftgrange.com/ |title=Seacroft Grange Care Village |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=seacroftgrange.com |publisher=Care Homes Leeds |access-date=4 October 2017 }}</ref>

See also The Seacroft Village Preservation Society.<ref name=SCPC>{{cite web|url=http://home.freeuk.com/seacroft/sctop.htm |title=Seacroft Village |publisher=Home.freeuk.com |access-date=28 December 2008}}</ref>

There is an old non-operating windmill, that pre-dates the estate, which has been incorporated into a hotel (now known as the [[Britannia Hotels|Britannia Hotel]] Leeds).
[[File:SeacroftWindmill.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Seacroft Windmill]]

===Satellite town within the city boundary===
The village developed slowly over the centuries and saw very little change until the post-war years.  Work on the estate began in the 1950s.  Many of the older houses on the estate are more traditional red-brick semis built around the Beechwood area, to the North of the estate.  In the 1960s many [[prefabricated housing|prefabricated houses]] and high-rise flats were constructed on the estate.  Two main roads were built through the estate, these being North Parkway and South Parkway.  North Parkway was built with a dual carriageway, in a similar way as Oak Tree Drive, Coldcotes Drive and Gipton Approach in neighbouring Gipton.

In 1934, Leeds City Council bought {{convert|1000|acre|km2}} for municipal housing, and after World War II the majority of houses and blocks of flats were built. The council had planned for Seacroft to be a "satellite town within the city boundary"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.any-village.com/UK/England/West-Yorkshire/Seacroft/home.aspx |title=Seacroft, West Yorkshire &#124; England &#124; United Kingdom (UK) &#124; Parish &#124; Village &#124; Community &#124; Seacroft |publisher=Any-village.com |access-date=22 June 2010}}</ref>

In addition to this vision, other areas surrounding Seacroft were built using the same principle. In the 1960s building work in the [[Swarcliffe]] and Stanks areas started, and in the 1970s in [[Whinmoor]]. However, none of these were as large or ambitious as Seacroft, with the intention that these areas use many of the amenities built along with the Seacroft Estate such as the Civic Centre and Seacroft's secondary schools.  As such amenities were kept to a minimum in Swarcliffe and Whinmoor, with the estates only having small local shops, public houses and primary schools.  Seacroft also has the main central bus interchange for North East Leeds, although the nearest railway station is in [[Cross Gates]].

===Seacroft Civic Centre===
[[File:Seacroft Town Centre 1967.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The former Seacroft Civic Centre in 1967]]
The 1960s also saw the construction of the Seacroft Civic Centre, which was at the time a novel way of building an outdoor purpose built town centre.  The Civic Centre had a [[Grandways]] supermarket and a [[Woolworths (United Kingdom)|Woolworths]] as well as many other smaller shops, banks, pubs and a library.  In the 1990s it had become apparent that the condition of the Civic Centre had deteriorated significantly in the 30 years since its construction.  Talks were held with [[Leeds City Council]], and [[Tesco]] were found as the preferred bidder to rebuild the Seacroft Civic Centre.

===Seacroft Green Shopping Centre===
In 1999, work began clearing the site and in 2000 the new Seacroft Green Shopping Centre opened.  The [[Tesco]] supermarket was cited at the time to be the largest in Europe, a claim which may not have been true.  It is, however, still an enormous supermarket spread over two levels (the second being a large mezzanine level, which was built a few years after the Tesco store had opened to give more space within the store). The car park was also enlarged and other shop units were built along the side of the supermarket, making the centre a crescent shape.  The huge supermarket as well as the other shops promised to create hundreds more jobs then would be lost through the loss of trade in the Civic Centre, which among other factors made the redevelopment favourable with many Seacroft residents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmu.ac.uk/lbs/pri/research/projects/Reports/01136.pdf |title=Microsoft Word - 01136-TESCOJobGuarantee-Report.doc |access-date=28 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070307085754/http://www.lmu.ac.uk/lbs/pri/research/projects/Reports/01136.pdf |archive-date=7 March 2007 }}</ref>
[[File:SeacroftSCentre.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Tesco at The Seacroft Green Shopping Centre]]

The Seacroft Green Shopping Centre is also the main transport interchange in Seacroft, with the main bus station for Seacroft and the surrounding areas being centred there.  From here buses run out through the estate as well as to the [[Leeds city centre|city centre]], [[Wetherby]] and [[Harrogate]].  Seacroft bus station has five stands and an average daily footfall of 2,687.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wymetro.com/BusTravel/BusStationsAndStops/SeacroftBusStation.htm|title=West Yorkshire Metro &#124; Bus Stations & Stops &#124; Seacroft Bus Station|publisher=West Yorkshire Metro|access-date=28 December 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105131849/http://www.wymetro.com/BusTravel/BusStationsAndStops/SeacroftBusStation.htm|archive-date=5 January 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref>  (See Transport)

The centre was not entirely popular with many local residents who said they had lost their town centre to a Tesco supermarket and to an extent, this may be true. Although there are shops besides Tesco, they are far fewer than there were, the precinct area has been lost, the pubs in the centre have been lost, and there are no offices.  Until the building of the new centre, and since the closure of [[Grandways]], it was said that Seacroft suffered from 'food poverty' and fresh produce could not be bought on the estate.  This was probably not true as there was a [[Co-op]] (now [[McColl's|McColls]] in 2018) on South Parkway.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Urban Regeneration, Social Inclusion and Large Store Development: The Seacroft Development in Context |journal= Urban Studies}}</ref>

The rebuilding of the Civic Centre did not alter the deprivation on the estate.  Throughout the 2000s (decade), the condition of many of the houses on the estate deteriorated, particularly amongst the prefabricated housing to the South West of the estate.  Many houses were vacated and either their condition or lack of demand dictated that the council boarded them up.  The estate's high rise flats are seen as a refuge as they are harder to break into and in better condition than the houses, as such they have largely been allocated to older residents.  Some (including Queensview) have become sheltered housing.

===Amenities elsewhere===
Regular bus services allow residents to use amenities in [[Leeds city centre]], [[Cross Gates]] and [[Wetherby]]. The Cross Gates Centre (formerly Arndale Centre) provides many high street shops which Seacroft lacks, while Wetherby's many pubs make it an alternative destination for evening entertainment.

==Architecture==
{{See also|Architecture of Leeds}}
[[File:ParkwayHousesSeacroft.jpg|thumb|right|600px|Concrete Council-built houses on North Parkway]]
[[File:BarncroftDriveSeacroft.jpg|thumb|right|300px|High rise flats and brick semis]]

Seacroft has a variety of styles of architecture.  The area surrounding the green has many old buildings, dating back to the 18th century and before.  The estate also shows a variety of different styles employed by [[Leeds City Council]] for the duration of the estate's construction.  The earlier houses dating back to the 1950s are red brick traditional terraces and semis.  In the late 1960s and 1970s [[prefabricated housing]] was built towards the South West of the estate.  The build quality of these houses was notably poor and many have now been demolished to be replaced with modern housing .  The older council houses were generally built to a higher quality and are still in good condition.  The [[Brutalism|brutalist]] Seacroft Civic Centre stood until its demolition in 1999, when it was replaced by the Seacroft Green Shopping Centre, which is of a fairly standard design for a large supermarket and purpose-built shops.  There are also many high-rise blocks of flats around the estate, mainly near the Shopping Centre, towards the bottom of South Parkway and Beechwood Avenue, around the Ramshead area and in the Bogart Hill area. Starting in 2018, many new houses are being built on the eastern end of South Parkway.
<gallery>
File:SeacroftHousesYorkRd1.jpg|Older housing, York Road, Seacroft Village
File:SeacroftSemis.jpg|1950s Semi-detached Council Housing
File:KentmereAvenue.jpg|Later semi-detached houses
File:SeacroftLRFlats.jpg|Low-rise flats
File:SouthParkwayShopsLS14.jpg|Shops on the South Parkway
</gallery>

Religious buildings include the stone-built St James's Parish Church ([[C of E]], 1845), a brick [[Wesleyanism|Wesleyan]] Chapel (1874), a brick [[Congregational church|Congregational Church]] (1951, badly damaged in an arson attack in 2015, leading to its demolition in 2017) and a brick [[Roman Catholic Church]], Our Lady of Good Counsel (1954).
<gallery>
File:MethodistChurchSeacroft1874.jpg|Methodist Church (Wesleyan Chapel) (1874), now Chapel FM Arts Centre (2014–present)
File:SeacroftCongChurch.jpg|Seacroft Congregational Church (1951) Demolished in 2017
File:LadyOfGoodCounselLeeds.jpg|Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church (1954)
File:St Richards Church - viewed from Ramshead Hill (geograph 3985505).jpg|St Richard's CofE church
File:St James's Church, Seacroft - geograph.org.uk - 140201.jpg|St James' CofE church predates the estate
File:Church of the Ascension - Ironwood Approach, Seacroft - geograph.org.uk - 893946.jpg|Church of the Assumption, vacated by the church of England in 2012, now used by [[Forward in Faith]] 
</gallery>

==Seacroft Hospital==
{{main|Seacroft Hospital}}
[[File:SeacroftHospitalTower.jpg|thumb|right|Seacroft Hospital Tower]]
Seacroft Hospital is Leeds' third-largest [[hospital]], being significantly smaller than the [[Leeds General Infirmary]] and [[St James's University Hospital, Leeds|St James' University Hospital]]. Situated between Seacroft and [[Killingbeck]], opposite the former Killingbeck Isolation Hospital, the hospital is accessible from the [[A64 road|A64]] York Road. It was constructed between 1893 and 1904, with a brick clock tower (also a water tower) designed by E. T. Hall under [[Arts and Crafts movement|Arts and Crafts]] influence.<ref name=Burt>Steven Burt & Kevin Grady (2002) ''The Illustrated History of Leeds'' 2nd edn (Breedon Books, derby) {{ISBN|1 85983 316 0}}</ref><ref name=Godward>Brian Godward (2004) ''The Changing Faces of Leeds'' (Sutton Publishing, Stroud) {{ISBN|0-7509-3413-1}}</ref>

Services have been moved from Seacroft Hospital to other hospitals around Leeds. Many of the buildings are in a poor state of repair. The health authority, in keeping with its policy to concentrate all services at the Leeds General Infirmary and St James hospitals, considers selling off the older parts of the hospital for redevelopment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Hospital-left-in-limbo-over.4140249.jp |title=Hospital left in limbo over fate of buildings |work= Yorkshire Evening Post |access-date=28 December 2008}}</ref>

==Industry==
There is a small industrial estate in Seacroft on Limewood Approach. [[Cable & Wireless plc|Cable and Wireless]] had a depot there for many years, but it closed in 2008.  On the estate, Seacroft Waste Sorting Facility is based, [[Leeds City Council]] have a major depot and [[National Grid plc|Transco]] operated a small facility until 2008.  Large factories of [[Agfa]] and [[Unilever]] are situated in nearby [[Whinmoor]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.leeds.gov.uk/files/2007/week39/inter__8B238030578723EB80256E000036F680_5c6b68da-7a45-42cd-b533-4324913bb278.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=28 December 2008 |archive-date=10 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610161203/http://www.leeds.gov.uk/files/2007/week39/inter__8B238030578723EB80256E000036F680_5c6b68da-7a45-42cd-b533-4324913bb278.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leeds.gov.uk/files/2007/week43/inter__5D4631FC96BA64BD80256E1C003563B7_cade646e-c824-48d4-83ca-cbfb65a4ede0.pdf |title=07/04479/FU/HW |access-date=28 December 2008}}</ref>

==Education==

===Primary===
The primary schools in Seacroft are:
*Beechwood Primary School, Kentmere Avenue LS14 6QB
*Grange Farm Primary School [http://www.grangefarm.leeds.sch.uk/], Bancroft Rise LS14 1AX
*Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Primary School, Pigeon Cote Road LS14 1EP
*Parklands Primary School [http://www.parklands-pri.leeds.sch.uk/], Dufton Approach LS14 6ED
*Seacroft Grange Primary School, Moresdale Lane, LS14 6JR

===Secondary===

The [[Bishop Young Church of England Academy]] opened on 1 May 2017, the building was previously the David Young Community Academy (DYCA) which was founded in 2006 and closed in spring of 2017, named after [[David Nigel de Lorentz Young|David Young]], a former bishop of Ripon. It is a state-funded [[Academy (English school)|academy]] sponsored by the [[Church of England]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bishop Young Church of England Academy - GOV.UK|url=https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/144809/bishop-young-church-of-england-academy/absence-and-pupil-population|access-date=2021-04-02|website=Find and compare schools in England|language=en}}</ref>
[[File:SeacroftFamLearnCentre.JPG|thumb|left|200px|[[East Leeds Family Learning Centre]] (former Foxwood School) - now demolished.]]

[[Leeds East Academy]] is a coeducational school that originated in Parkland Girls' High School (built 1954) on South Parkway.<ref name=OfstedP>[http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxedu_providers/full/(urn)/108074/(type)/8192/(typename)/Secondary%20education Ofsted] Parkland Girls' High School</ref> This was the last single-sex state school in Leeds before its closure. Leeds East Academy has now relocated to new buildings on the same site.

The main [[secondary school]] in Seacroft was [[Foxwood School (Seacroft)|Foxwood School]], which became an adult education centre, the [[East Leeds Family Learning Centre]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Leeds East Academy - GOV.UK|url=https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/136826/leeds-east-academy/secondary|access-date=2021-04-02|website=Find and compare schools in England|language=en}}</ref> but was demolished in 2009.
The school was used as 'San Quentin High' in ''[[The Beiderbecke Affair]]''.  The buildings were completed in 1962<ref name=LeodisF>{{cite web|url=http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=9526 |title=A photographic archive of Leeds |publisher=Leodis |access-date=22 June 2010}} An image of the new school</ref> and are a complex of buildings set in a square with a central courtyard.  The main building was a six-storey tower block.  Notable former pupils include [[Andrew Edge]] (musician), [[David Harvey (footballer)|David Harvey]] (footballer) and [[Ellery Hanley]] (rugby league player). Former teachers include [[Colin Burgon]] ([[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] MP for [[Elmet (UK Parliament constituency)|Elmet]] which included [[Wetherby]], [[Garforth]], [[Cross Gates]] and [[Swarcliffe]]), who himself was from [[Gipton]].

==Politics==
Seacroft falls into the [[Killingbeck and Seacroft (ward)|Killingbeck & Seacroft]] electoral ward of [[Leeds City Council]] and [[Leeds East (UK Parliament constituency)|Leeds East]] [[United Kingdom Parliament constituencies|parliamentary constituency]], represented by [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] MP [[Richard Burgon]]. As of [[2018 Leeds City Council election|2018]], it has three [[Labour party (UK)|Labour]] councillors.<ref name=LeedsCouncil>[http://democracy.leeds.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0 democracy.leeds.gov.uk]</ref>

Seacroft was formerly a [[Township (England)|township]] in the parishes of [[Whitkirk]] and Leeds and a [[chapelry]] in the parish of Whitkirk,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/place/14190|title=History of Seacroft, in Leeds and West Riding|publisher=[[A Vision of Britain through Time]]|accessdate=12 October 2024}}</ref> in 1866 Seacroft became a separate [[civil parish]], on 9 November 1912 the parish was abolished and merged with Leeds.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10467366|title=Relationships and changes Seacroft CP/Tn through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=12 October 2024}}</ref> In 1911 the parish had a population of 1695.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10467366/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics Seacroft CP/Tn through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=12 October 2024}}</ref>

==Local media==
The local newspaper for Seacroft is the ''[[Yorkshire Evening Post]]'', thought the ''[[Wetherby News]]'' is also sold in the area (although its news coverage generally stops beyond the [[Shadwell, Leeds|Shadwell]] and [[Whinmoor]] areas).  The local [[BBC]] radio station is [[BBC Radio Leeds]]. Many other Leeds radio stations can be received, but [[Chapel FM|ChapelFM]] deals specifically with Seacroft and surrounding areas.  Neighbouring areas such as Whinmoor are often covered in Wetherby's [[Tempo FM]].

==Reputation==
[[File:SeacroftBoarded.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Boarded Housing in Seacroft (demolished)]]
[[File:South Parkway.jpg|thumb|right|200px|some people remain in parts of South Parkway delaying regeneration (demolished)]] [[File:Seacroft2.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Deserted Seacroft streets in the planned regeneration area (demolished)]]
Seacroft has a poor reputation across Leeds. A large portion of the housing is council owned, and the few jobs tend to be low paid casual or manual work.  Many of the houses, particularly [[prefabricated housing]] around South Parkway have been boarded up and are unfit for any future habitation. This is due to a multimillion-pound city re-development scheme whose earlier progress can be seen in the similar estates around the Coal Road area. The area's poor reputation has been focused on by journalist [[Donal MacIntyre]].  Neighbouring [[Gipton]] also shares this poor reputation.  85.49% of occupied houses in Seacroft fall within the Band A council tax rate (the lowest based on house values).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://statistics.leeds.gov.uk/PDF_Downloads/Files/W-Seacroft.pdf |title=Housing and the Environment |publisher=Statistics.leeds.gov.uk |access-date=22 June 2010}}</ref> However, the negative image of Seacroft was challenged in 2008 by a [[BBC]] article called 'The Estate' depicting life on the estate.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7727807.stm |title=UK &#124; The Estate |work=BBC News |date= 17 November 2008|access-date=28 December 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Estate of the nation |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/articles/2008/11/17/places_seacroft_estate_feature.shtml |title=BBC – Leeds – Places – Estate of the nation |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |access-date=28 December 2008}}</ref>

===Recorded crime statistics===
Below is a table from Leeds Observatory, detailing crime from 2018 ward in LS14 from March 2020 to February 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Leeds Observatory – Crime & Community Safety – Profiles (local areas)|url=https://observatory.leeds.gov.uk/crime-and-community-safety/report/view/1b51c4afc13b44f7aa57acdf46dce5de/E05011400/|access-date=2021-04-02|website=observatory.leeds.gov.uk}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Recorded Crime (Most to Least)
! Count
! Per 1000
!% Of Total
|-
|All Crime
|5404
|231.46
|100
|-
||All Reported Crime (Excluding ASB) || 4,327|| 185.33
|80.07
|-
|Violence And Sexual Offences
|2,002
|85.75
|37.05
|-
|Antisocial Behaviour (ASB)
|1,077
|46.13
|19.93
|-
||Criminal Damage And Arson|| 579|| 24.8
|10.71
|-
|Public Order
|526
|22.53
|9.73
|-
|Other Theft
|296
|12.68
|5.45
|-
|Shoplifting
|205
|8.78
|3.8
|-
||Domestic Burglary|| 201|| 8.61
|3.72
|-
|Vehicle Crime
|166
|7.11
|3.08
|-
|Other Crime
|125
|5.35
|2.31
|-
|Drugs
|101
|4.33
|1.87
|-
|Robbery
|37
|1.58
|0.68
|-
|Bicycle Theft
|33
|1.41
|0.61
|-
|Possession Of Weapons
|32
|1.37
|0.59
|-
|Theft From The Person
|24
|1.03
|0.44
|}

==Transport==

===Public transport===
[[File:Seacroft bus station (10th June 2010).jpg|thumb|Seacroft bus station]]
'''Seacroft bus station''' was rebuilt as part of the Seacroft Green Shopping Centre and has five drive-in-reverse-out stands. Buses go from here to [[Leeds City Centre]] and to other neighbouring areas of the city such as [[Cross Gates]], [[Gipton]] and [[Whinmoor]] as well as Wetherby. [[First Leeds]] runs the majority of the services that serve the bus station. Their service 49 serves the Monkswood Gate area in the north of Seacroft, but not the bus station.<ref>Metro, [https://www.wymetro.com/buses/timetables/49/pdf Monkswood Gate – Bramley: 49], accessed 4 November 2018</ref>

The closest railway station is [[Cross Gates railway station|Cross Gates]], with services operating to [[Leeds railway station|Leeds]], [[Garforth railway station|Garforth]], [[Bradford Interchange]], [[Halifax railway station (West Yorkshire)|Halifax]], [[York railway station|York]], [[Hull Paragon Interchange|Hull]] and [[Scarborough railway station|Scarborough]].<ref name=wymetro>{{cite web |author=Metro |url=http://www.wymetro.com/BusTravel/BusStationsAndStops/SeacroftBusStation.htm |title=Metro &#124; Bus stations &#124; Seacroft Bus Station |publisher=Wymetro.com |access-date=22 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105131849/http://www.wymetro.com/BusTravel/BusStationsAndStops/SeacroftBusStation.htm |archive-date=5 January 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

===East Leeds Orbital Route (ELOR)===
{{update|section|reason=ELOR is now open|date=April 2025}}
Since the 1960s, the [[Leeds Outer Ring Road]] has been considered to create a social barrier between Seacroft and [[Swarcliffe]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=20031021_65960330&DISPLAY=FULL |title=a photographic archive of Leeds – Display |publisher=Leodis |access-date=22 June 2010}}</ref> which prompted calls for a bypass around East Leeds' suburbs. The project started in summer 2018 and is set to build a new {{convert|7.5|km|adj=on}} route linking the orbital Ring Road (A6120) at Red Hall to the [[A580 road|A58]], the [[A64 road|A64]] and Leeds Road to connect with [[Thorpe Park Leeds|Thorpe Park]] at Junction 46 of the [[M1 motorway|M1]], set to be complete by summer 2023 with enhancement finished by autumn 2023.<ref name="About The Project">{{Cite web|title=About The Project|url=https://www.elor.uk/about-the-project/|access-date=2021-04-02|website=East Leeds Orbital Route|language=en-GB}}</ref>

The East Leeds Orbital Route is the biggest infrastructure project undertaken by [[Leeds City Council]] for fifty years, since the completion of the [[Leeds Inner Ring Road]] in 1974. It is intended to ease congestion in existing residential areas like [[Cross Gates]], Seacroft and [[Whitkirk]], and will also play a key role in the growth plans for the city for years to come. It will allow the development of the surrounding areas of the road, with the development of possible new shops, houses, and schools.<ref name="About The Project"/>

==Distances to nearby places of significance==
*[[Cross Gates]] {{convert|1.3|mi|km}}
*[[Whinmoor]] {{convert|1.8|mi|km}}
*[[Scholes, Leeds|Scholes]] {{convert|2.4|mi|km}}
*[[Garforth]] {{convert|4.6|mi|km}}
*[[Wetherby]] {{convert|8.4|mi|km}}
*[[Castleford]] {{convert|10.2|mi|km}}
*[[Leeds Bradford International Airport]] {{convert|12.1|mi|km}}
*[[Wakefield]] {{convert|14.2|mi|km}}
*[[Bradford]] {{convert|15.4|mi|km}}
*[[Harrogate]] {{convert|15.4|mi|km}}
*[[York]] {{convert|17.1|mi|km}}

==Location grid==
{{NSEW|[[Scarcroft]]|[[Cross Gates, Leeds|Cross Gates]]|[[Scholes, Leeds|Scholes]]|[[Gipton]]|||||}}

==See also==
*[[List of large council estates in the UK]]
*[[Listed buildings in Seacroft and Killingbeck]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Seacroft, West Yorkshire}}
*[http://home.freeuk.net/seacroft/sctop.htm Seacroft Village Preservation Society website]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7727807.stm BBC News website "The Estate" article about Seacroft]
*[http://www.hero.ac.uk/uk/business/archives/2002/planting_the_food_desert2231.cfm "Planting the food desert"] — Higher Education and Research Opportunities in the U.K.
*[http://www.queensview.co.uk/index.htm Queenswiew Flats In Seacroft] — Website Dedicated to Queensview & Seacroft.
*{{cite web | url = http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Whitkirk/index.html | title = The Ancient Parish of Whitkirk | publisher = [[GENUKI]] | access-date=29 October 2007}} – Seacroft was in this parish
*[http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.queensview.co.uk/images/lion%26.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.queensview.co.uk/page2.htm&h=525&w=700&sz=124&hl=en&start=13&sig2=S3uyDOiVTFHW2O1aHvraUg&um=1&usg=__ZurYrB171HFl8gScPjAWZGn30yw=&tbnid=FK-x5mQ6UdGRoM:&tbnh=105&tbnw=140&ei=cdMUSbuTGJH-1QaRvcn0Cg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSeacroft%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den Pictures of Queensview and Seacroft]
*[http://www.seacrofttoday.co.uk/yourseacroft/Seacroft-History.1794815.jp ''Yorkshire Evening Post'', History of Seacroft]
*[https://archive.today/20121224105633/http://www.wells-genealogy.org.uk/school/foxdemolition.htm Foxwood School in its final year]

{{City of Leeds}}

[[Category:Seacroft| ]]
[[Category:Places in Leeds]]
[[Category:Former civil parishes in West Yorkshire]]