A new community group is being set up to improve a neglected Wortley park.
Anyone interested in enhancing New Wortley Recreation Ground and getting involved within the local community is invited to join a meeting on Monday, 16 January at 6pm at Highfield Methodist Church, Highfield Avenue.
Councillor Ann Forsaith (Green, Farnley & Wortley) has been instrumental in setting up this and many other ‘Friends of’ groups throughout the area.
“I am absolutely delighted that another group of local residents value their local green space and want to set up a Friends of New Wortley Recreation Ground to bring about improvements,” she said.
“It is clear that despite – or perhaps because of – the increasing difficulties of recent years, people are recognising the benefits of working together to improve their own local neighbourhoods. Everyone who has an interest in the park and would like to get involved will be very welcome at the meeting on Monday.”
Friends are sought for New Wortley Recreation Ground. Photo: Google
Users of eight parks in West Leeds could face paying parking charges, if Leeds City Council gives the final go ahead.
The Labour-run council has announced it is planning to charge around 40p-an-hour for car parking at some public spaces across the city.
Golden Acre Park in Bramhope, Kirkstall Abbey, Middleton Park, Otley Chevin Park, Roundhay Park and Temple Newsam are among the large areas of parkland where free parking for the city’s residents could end.
WLD understands parking charges in West Leeds could be implemented at Armley Park, Bramley Falls Wood, Farnley Hall Park, New Wortley Rec, Queens Park in Pudsey, Gotts Park in Armley, Stanningley Park and Western Flatts Park in Wortley.
A document seen by WLD today revealed a total of 21 community parks are currently under consideration across the city. These include:
Leeds City Council has stressed that no final decisions have been made and that any proposal that comes forward will be subject to consultation.
“These parking charges are nothing more than a fresh air tax on the city’s green lungs,” he said. “People are genuinely angry about these plans, and rightly so. Our parks are some of the few free leisure attractions left for families feeling the pinch, and the prospect of being charged to park up is causing genuine distress.”
Queens Park, Pudsey
In response, a council spokesperson said: “We understand how valuable our city’s parks are to the people of Leeds, and that access is an important part of that.
“However, the unprecedented budget pressures faced by the council have meant we have had to look at options we wouldn’t usually consider. No decisions have yet been made and any proposal that comes forward will be subject to consultation.”
The cash-strapped local authority revealed in December it was planning to introduce fees at some green spaces in the city to balance its books.
The proposal could be signed off in February as part of the council’s new budget.
Venues where people park for relatively short periods of time are likely to see relatively “modest” charges introduced.
Season tickets could also be introduced at parks where people go several times a month.
Western Flatts Cliff Park community orchard. Photo: Katherine Turner
Speaking at a council scrutiny meeting earlier this month, senior council officer James Rogers said the scheme would be rolled out gradually over the course of the next year.
Mr Rogers, who is the service director for housing, communities and environment, added: “In terms of the charges, what we’re proposing is modest charges, recognising most people will use these car parks for one or two hours a day.
“40p-an-hour is what we’re currently proposing as part of the consulation process.
“We might just need different arrangements where some of these car parks are used for maybe longer stay parking, where we’re happy to encourage that.
“We’ll put the price in according to the appropriateness of each car park. But generally it will be 40p-an-hour.”
The council says blue badge holders will be exempt from the charges and that the money will help fund maintenance of the car parks themselves.
It also insists the charges will be enforced, despite admitting at the end of last year it was grappling with a parking warden shortage.
The system is also likely to be cash-less, with drivers asked to pay through a phone app.
Hallowe'en venue: Kirkstall Abbey in the mist. Photo by Susan Tellum
By David Spereall, local democracy reporter
Plans to introduce parking fees across parks and public spaces in Leeds – including Kirkstall Abbey – have been branded a “fresh air tax”, by the city’s Liberal Democrat councillors.
Lib Dem group leader Stewart Golton said the charges risked excluding people from “some of the few free leisure attractions left” and that there was “genuine anger” about the idea.
The Labour-run council announced last week it was planning to charge around 40p-an-hour for car parking at public spaces across the city, with Middleton Park, Temple Newsam and Roundhay Park among the biggest places affected.
Prices may vary across sites, but around 30 venues are in line for fees of some kind.
It says the plan will bring in much-needed cash for public services and describe the fees involved as “modest”.
But Councillor Golton attacked the plan on Wednesday, saying: “These parking charges are nothing more than a fresh air tax on the city’s green lungs.
“People are genuinely angry about these plans, and rightly so. Our parks are some of the few free leisure attractions left for families feeling the pinch, and the prospect of being charged to park up is causing genuine distress.”
Earlier in the week Councillor Golton tweeted a photo from Rothwell Country Park in his ward, where debris has been dumped in the car park, which has been closed for many years.
However, the venue is among those that have been earmarked for parking charges.
Other Lib Dem councillors have expressed concern about vehicles being left on residential streets near parks, if drivers try to duck the fees.
Councillor Golton added: “I’m not convinced they have any idea what is going on in some of our parks.
“Ironically, this fresh air tax could be viewed as the last gasp of a failing Labour regime exhausted of competent responses to the financial difficulties they face on our behalf.”
In response, a council spokesperson said: “We understand how valuable our city’s parks are to the people of Leeds, and that access is an important part of that.
“However, the unprecedented budget pressures faced by the council have meant we have had to look at options we wouldn’t usually consider. No decisions have yet been made and any proposal that comes forward will be subject to consultation.”
A West Leeds wildlife sanctuary will be back open to the public on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 9am till 4pm every week from today.
Rodley Nature Reserve was initially completely closed due to the work, only to later open one day a week last year – with footfall dramatically dwindling due to delays replacing a swing bridge over the canal which connects the reserve directly to Rodley high street.
Although the bridge still isn’t fully operational, the reserve has announced its extended opening.
The new swing bridge at Rodley. Photo: Keef Williamson
Upcoming events include a RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch (28 and 29 January, 11am to 3pm both days) to count birds in the managers garden and bee garden.
For National Nest Box Week (19 February, 11am to 2pm), people are invited to build a nest for baby birds. However, a limited amount of bird box building kits are available so get in touch with the Nature Reserve to avoid disappointment and secure your place.
An important flyway for migrating birds, recents sightings have included a Water Rail, Redwings, Teal, Kingfisher and Goldcrest in locations throughout the diverse nature reserve featuring a lagoon, duck marsh, wet grassland and much more.
A decision on a detailed planning application for the proposed 66 houses on the adjacent Airedale Mills site, which will be served by the new swing bridge, is due to be made by councillors later this month.
The picket line at Bramley Ambulance Station today. Photo: John Baron
By John Baron
Paramedics on the picket line in Bramley today have spoken about what they claim are ‘dangerous’ conditions on the NHS due to working conditions and staffing levels.
Ambulance workers across the country began the second day of strikes on Wednesday (January 11), demanding fairer pay and conditions from the government. Workers across every trust in the country went on strike with many trusts declaring critical incidents due to the pressures on the health service.
One striker told WLD: “At the moment the demand is so high and the staffing levels are so low. Emergency care has almost effectively collapsed. Ambulances are essentially becoming mini-hospitals due to the lack of beds.
“I can spend an entire shift trying to hand over patients to hospital unable to get to the next life threatening job. The pressure on emergency services is dire and people simply don’t have the support they need.”
The NHS today said people should use services “wisely” and only call 999 in a life-threatening emergency as about 20,000 ambulance workers walk out in England and Wales.
It has advised the public to only call 999 where there is an immediate risk to life and the sickest patients will always receive help first. People should use 111, GPs and pharmacies for non-urgent needs.
Craig Dawson, political officer for the GMB Union, was also on the picket line. He said workers were facing increasingly difficult,t working conditions, saying one worked recently had their ambulance stolen, while others had faced other forms of threats and intimidation on top of a service already struggling with capacity.
“Nobody should have to put up with those kind of things,” he said. “It’s a matter of priorities for the Government, do they want to properly fund an NHS hit by a decade of austerity, or do they want to concentrate on scrapping the bankers’ bonus cap?”
They were joined on the picket line this morning by Councillor Caroline Gruen (Lab, Bramley & Stanningley).
She said: “I clearly support these workers’ struggle with an ineffective Government. Workers are finding it difficult to do their duties due to appalling conditions. I’ve heard stories today of paramedics struggling to do their duties effectively due to a shortage of oxygen and the large areas they are being forced to cover.
“Somebody has to listen to their voice. The cost of living crisis is causing everyone problems and pay rises are not keeping pace.”
The government said the strike action was unnecessary, but it had put contingency plans in place.
NHS unions met with Health Secretary Steve Barclay on Monday – but no agreement on pay was reached, with Mr Barclay calling pay demands ‘unaffordable’. He tweeted:
Today’s strikes are an unwelcome return to disruption when the NHS is already under huge pressure.
We have contingency plans to protect patients, but there will inevitably be an impact.
Continue to call 999 for life-saving care and use NHS 111 online for urgent advice. pic.twitter.com/xR6DaDcX42
Farsley Celtic remain without a win in 2023 after their 2-0 defeat at Edgar Street. Photo: John Baron
By John Baron. Additional reporting: Thomas Ritchie
Farsley Celtic suffered a second-straight defeat on the road, as they slipped to a 2-0 loss at Hereford on Tuesday evening.
The Celts started on the back foot and never really got going in a poor first half display which saw the hosts dominate possession and take a two-goal lead, thanks to a quickfire double from the lively Miles Storey.
In truth the hosts could have been four up at half time, if it wasn’t for a combination of great goalkeeping by Farsley’s Max Dearnley and some poor finishing.
Just four minutes in the Bulls will have been wondering how they weren’t in front. Dearnley could only divert Orrin Pendley’s header onto the head of Kane Thompson-Sommers, who somehow nodded over with the goal at his mercy.
Dearnley then had to be alert to push Ryan Lloyd’s driving half-volley to safety, before reacting well to tip over Levi Andoh’s cross-cum-shot that almost snuck under the crossbar.
The pressure would ultimately tell midway through the first half, Aaron Amadi-Holloway doing well to divert a deep cross from the left back across the goal for Miles Storey to prod home.
Storey was at it again within minutes, putting his side firmly in control. Farsley lost the ball in midfield, allowing Amadi-Holloway to find Storey once again, this time leaving the forward with more to do, which he did with aplomb, bending home superbly from outside the box.
There were a couple of half chances from Jimmy Spencer and Luke Parkin in the first period, but it wasn’t until around the hour mark that Farsley started to improve as Hereford sat back.
Andy Butler headed straight at Hereford keeper Visser, before Kian Scales came close drilling a first-time strike wide as he ran onto a loose ball on the edge of the box.
Jimmy Spencer then came closest to pulling a goal back with just under 15 minutes remaining, bringing down Dearnley’s long ball and playing a neat one-two with Lewis Butroid, before he fired a strike just over the crossbar.
The hosts were always a threat on the break, Amadi-Holloway squandering a great chance to play in Harry Pinchard, before the Bulls’ number nine then saw his header saved low down.
The Celts would test Visser further, Allan having a header saved, but Hereford would comfortably see out the closing moments to secure the three points, much to the disappointment of the five intrepid Celts fans who made the long trip from West Yorkshire.
Farsley Celtic will look forward to a welcome break from their National League North relegation battle when they entertain Marske United in the fourth found of the FA Trophy at the Citadel on Saturday.
Celts boss Russ Wilcox was left to lament his ‘leggy’ side’s slow start to the game, while praising the home side. He is looking forward to a run of four home games on the bounce:
Volunteer Rebeka Kovacs pictured with some of the seasonal greetings cards already donated to the recycling project.
An Armley-based charity is recycling used Christmas cards.
Leeds City Mission in Mistress Lane is appealing for people to save their old, used greetings cards and put them to good use.
They hope to collect hundreds of now-redundant cards after the Christmas season and reuse them. Enthusiastic volunteers plan to take up their scissors and cut and craft individual present gift tags from donated cards for use next year.
In a pilot project last year they were able to create over 2,000 gift tags from discarded cards, which were then distributed free of charge.
Their successful efforts have inspired them to repeat the project this year on a larger scale. The more cards they receive, the more they hope to produce for next Christmas. Their plan is to create over 3,000 new gift tags to give away.
Leeds City Mission Coordinator Andy Dalton said: “This is a simple idea and great opportunity to make something useful out of what would otherwise by waste and thrown away. Please let us have your cards the next time you are shopping in Armley Town Street.”
Greetings Cards can be dropped off at the Mission Room – the base of Leeds City Mission. This is the last public building at the end of Town Street and is diagonally opposite Armley Library. Volunteers at the Mission Room will gladly receive donations of no- -longer-needed cards anytime between 10.30 am – 2.30 pm Mondays to Thursdays.
Leeds City Mission is a Christian agency which has worked with marginalised people over three centuries since 1837 and seeks to meet the physical, social and spiritual needs of Leeds residents.
Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson visited Castleton Primary School and its Children’s Centre following their recent good Ofsted rating.
On the visit she met with staff and children and saw the vital work that they do to support children and families in the inner city community.
Ms Phillipson and Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves were also able to meet with and speak to the school council about their roles in Parliament. As WLD reported in November, the school received rich praise from Ofsted inspectors during their most recent visit.
Headteachers of Castleton Primary School, Alistair Darnall and Andrea Riley said: “Following our recent successful Ofsted inspection, it was highlighted that staff ensure all our children can learn and achieve their full potential and are positive members of our school community.
“We are proud to create a safe haven where children can thrive, and the Ofsted team commended our staff for going above and beyond. We are delighted to have had the opportunity to show Bridget and Rachel around and talk about the work we do, and were recognised for by Ofsted.”
Bridget Phillipson MP, and Shadow Education Secretary said: “It was a true pleasure visiting pupils and staff at Castleton Primary and to see the wonderful facilities on offer for children and families here in Armley.
“Provisions like the ones here at Castleton are more important than ever in ensuring all pupils get the best start in life, and the excellent childcare provision on offer is making a transformative difference to families in this area.”
As Castleton Primary’s local MP, Rachel Reeves MP added: “I was delighted to have the opportunity to welcome Bridget to Armley, and to introduce her to the fantastic staff and pupils at Castleton Primary School. The school does great work supporting families in so many ways, despite facing more and more funding cuts.
“I look forward to continuing to work with them to support families across Armley and Leeds West during this Cost of Living crisis.”
Hollybush is currently recruiting volunteer officers, a volunteering role that aims to support people into being able to run activities and lead groups independently.
As well as valuable practical experience Hollybush will provide you comprehensive training, job opportunity information, interview guidance and references.
A spokesperson said: “It’s also a chance to do something very satisfying and worthwhile, and have lots of fun with some great people!”
More details can be found below:
More information, including how to apply, can be found on the TCV website.
From goths flocking for a dance at the Old Woollen events venue to an archive sharing this site’s rich textile history and the people who worked in its buildings.
Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley is well worth the visit for tourists reading about Leeds, named as one of the global cities to visit in 2023 by travel publisher Rough Guides. But it’s a bit off the beaten track so strap in!
If a Netflix series was commissioned about this place then it should start with Billy Gaunt, a multi-millionaire wool tycoon who spent most of his life living at The Savoy in London, had business interests in music halls and theatres whilst owning farms dotted around Yorkshire.
He had mills generating an income from all over the world and owned Sunnybank Mills from 1917 till 1929 when his empire collapsed due to the financial fallout of the Great Depression.
The present day is no less eventful with an on site brewery, Amity Brew Co crafting the tastiest beers on a weekend and Saint Jude’s Bar offering cocktails from 10am every day. Plenty of food is on site too from bagels at the latter, wood-fired pizza at Grumpy’s, a quaint gallery tea room serving cake, Mill Kitchen with its epic brunch alongside Farsley Fire & Smoke with its high quality meats BBQ.
Amity Brew Co at Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley
This success has paved the way for an award-winning distillery and cocktail venue to open up, Test Bar that’s nestled within the Twisting Building.
Billy Gaunt’s passion for the entertainment world lives on with talents from the spheres of music, comedy and theatre gracing The Old Woollen events space. This year alone they’ve got two sold out shows by comedy star Gary Delaney, a night of Karaoke with Barry off Eastenders for Valentines night, Bez from Happy Mondays dropping in for a chat and some of the best tribute acts in this country.
Those on the quiet side of life can always find solitude browsing the works of emerging artists at indoor and outdoor galleries. Find a day when the studio spaces are open to stumble into a much more mature Disney Land of local art, the archive with all its history or my favourite being transported back into the Victorian era when walking down the right hand side of the Spinning Mill.
Sunny Bank Mills’ William Gaunt is a champion of traditional weaving skills.
A tidy sum of £4million is getting ploughed via Project Boilerhouse so the Sunnybank Mills site can continue to build or support creative office spaces, incubator studios, education, shops and more. These are exciting times in our year of culture so come embrace all the excitement on offer.
Proving this point is Testament, a world record holding beat boxer who wrote on twitter “Everyone knows Farsley is a fictional place… It’s much too fantastical”.
It is a far cry from the days when the Inland Revenue and five leading banks circled the wagons at Sunny Bank Mills to recover debt. These days the site even has visits from the Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves, or you’re meeting a friend for a coffee whilst the BBC’s Emma Barnett interviews people from the community a couple of tables away, hosting a book talk in a packed out art gallery or championing the businesses operating here.
Sunny Bank Mills, off Farsley Town Street
It seems Billy Gaunt sadly didn’t spend much time at Sunny Bank Mills, according to the archives, but thank goodness his son did with their descendants still owning the site to this day. They have created a village within a village which is very much connected to a thriving high street. It is a beacon of hope in these bleak times.
This enclave of independence has a story that is still unfolding so it’s only a matter of time before someone captures it in better words than this, takes a photo that seals more visitors than what the place can handle and becomes a national treasure?
When I went to return some library books in Bramley the other day, I got as far as the returns machine in the foyer and then realised that I didn’t have my Leeds Live card or membership number on me. Hmm. Now what?
Seeing me dithering, the smiling security man was quick to offer help. And a librarian hurried over from the main desk. Between them, they explained and showed me that I simply needed to scan the books – as a pile, not even individually – and that was that. And they didn’t make me feel like an idiot, either!
I didn’t need to borrow any more books that day but I wandered into the main library anyway. (It was dull outside, and Bramley Library’s open layout and great big skylight make for an airy, inviting space.)
There were several other people there already, at tables and the computer bank, but I got no further than the tiered display table just inside: look at all those books!
After a good ten minutes’ happy browsing, I’d put the novels The Startup Wife (“A rambunctious, radiant riot of a novel”), The Pisces (Laugh-out-loud funny”) and Dele Weds Destiny (“Fast-paced, glamorous and bursting with emotion” on my reading list, along with My Pear-Shaped Life (Well – I just like the title!) and Plume (“Biting and very funny” and “The perfect novel for our times”).
I think I’ll pass on Maoism and save The Sellout Party, (“The most lacerating American satire in years”) for when my nerves are stronger, but I do like the sound of Tez Ilyas’s memoir, The Secret Diary of a British Asian Muslim aged 13 ¾ (both “Razor sharp” and “Charming”).
I had wondered about the re-branding of libraries as ‘Community Hubs’. I’d seen the rows of computers for public use, and public libraries have a long tradition of storytime and library clubs.
At Farsley Library, there was a big jigsaw that anyone could add to, and hot drinks, too. But what else was on offer in our local libraries? I’ve since looked online on the Leeds City Council website and found that library staff can offer employment support, and help with requests for local services like housing repairs or parking permits.
At Armley, Pudsey and other branches, they even run free weekly drop-in sessions on getting more out of a tablet, smartphone or computer, whether you want to bring your own, or use a library PC!
But in Bramley, I found more answers as I went back through the foyer: on the table and windowsill were leaflets, flyers and posters about all sorts of groups and activities: Barca’s Better Together weekly programme of adult classes and activities; the Brownies at St Peter’s Church for 7-10 year-olds; Dance Fit, laid on by Bramley Elderly Action at the Community Centre on Waterloo Lane; the Fairfield Community Centre’s Urban Arts Project for 11-17 year-olds interested in DJing, graffiti, games or arts & crafts; Jigsaw at Trinity Methodist Church, offering time out and company for carers and anyone feeling isolated; andLeeds LGBTQ+ Community Consortium also aiming to relieve isolation with arts, events and activities. And posters for amateur and professional shows and getting involved in Leeds 2023 Year of Culture!!!
And services and volunteering opportunities, too. I found out about those tech drop-in sessions (#Digital121 Drop-in ‘Get online. Get Connected.’ from one of the flyers in the foyer! There are leaflets about volunteering with Leeds Libraries, on becoming a Shared Livescarer if you have a spare room.
There’s the offer of practical or emotional support through Linking Leeds, among others; and Leeds Unlocked (Looking out for Local Men #LEEDSMEN); domestic abuse support, regardless of gender, through The Prevention and Recovery Service. There’s also info on getting debt or money advice and energy or utility bill advice; and help from Age UK to avoid being scammed – or support if you have fallen victim to a scam.
Considering that I had only intended to be in and out, I found much more on offer than expected at my warm, bright, airy library and Community Hub.
The popular Leeds half marathon will no longer start and finish in Leeds city centre, it has been revealed.
Traditionally starting and ending in the city centre and going up Kirkstall Road and past Kirkstall Abbey, it will now start and finish at Headingley Stadium to coincide with the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon
The new route will take runners on a journey around Woodhouse Moor before travelling up through Headingley, Adel and into Bramhope before returning back to Headingley.
It will mark 20 years since Jane Tomlinson officially started the race in 2003.
Runners make their way through Kirkstall during 2019’s Half Marathon. Photo: Simon Cullingworth
Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s executive member for economy, culture and education, said: “The Leeds Half Marathon is a fantastic occasion and one that I know many, many people look forward to supporting each year.
“The council is proud to be involved with an event that promotes such a spirit of inclusivity while also doing incredible work for good causes, honouring and building upon the fundraising legacy of the late Jane Tomlinson.
“This year’s new route looks really exciting and I’m delighted that it will showcase so much of our city’s stunning countryside as well as the world-famous sporting landmark that is Headingley Stadium.”
Mike Tomlinson, CEO of Run For All, which organises the event, added: “We are delighted to see the return of the Leeds Half Marathon in our home city of Leeds. As a highlight in the region’s sporting calendar, we are delighted to be offering a brand-new and exciting route for participants to enjoy.”
Runners are encouraged to fundraise for their own charity of choice or one of the event’s partner charities. These include the Jane Tomlinson Appeal, Alzheimer’s Society, Yorkshire Cancer Research, Candlelighters, Macmillan Cancer Support, St George’s Crypt and Leeds Hospitals Charity.
Elsewhere, the first Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon will see over 10,000 participants take on a brand new route through Leeds that also starts and finishes at Headingley Stadium.
You can find out more about both events, including details about how to take part, by visiting the Run For All website.
