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Pudsey: Future of former visitor centre and glasshouse yet to be decided

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Closed: The former West Leeds Country Park Visitor Centre.

The future of the former West Leeds Country Park Visitors Centre and glasshouse in Pudsey Park is still to be decided by Leeds City Council – four years after the facilities closed their doors.

Both facilities shut in February 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and never re-opened after a subsequent round of Leeds City Council budget cuts permanently closing the facilities in 2021 in a bid to save the cash-strapped local authority £90,000 a year.

At least two community projects have expressed interest in taking on the buildings, including Steven Newbatt, who runs The Farsley Cake Co, and the Pudsey Community Project.

But a Leeds City Council spokesperson told WLD this week: “Unfortunately, none of the initial expressions of interest fully responded to the council’s requirements, so were not taken forward. We are currently reviewing the buildings and aim to have a plan for their future use in the coming months.”

Community organisations have been expressing an interest in taking on the glasshouse.

WLD understands the council also has concerns about their ability to legally lease out the former visitor centre due to low EPC energy ratings. As a result the council’s parks department has identified possible opportunities for these assets to be re-utilised to complement the use of the park by the public and these are currently being explored.

Council bosses invited expressions of interest for the former visitor centre in Autumn 2022, comprising animal enclosures, aviaries and aquariums, as well as associated welfare rooms, offices, a classroom and toilets. The glasshouse next door is also available.

Both projects have said they will continue to lobby the council.

Pudsey Community Project (PCP), which offers a range of services to support people in need, has launched an online petition to restart negotiations with the council after the process stalled due to the council’s city-wide review of all its assets.

PCP chief executive Richard Dimery said his organisation’s bid for the buildings had been developed further since their initial expression of interest.

“The buildings have been empty for four years now and are much-valued by the people of Pudsey,” Mr Dimery said. “Finding the right use for them is very important. We are committed to serving the community in any way we can and hope to work with others to find the most appropriate use. We will continue to do that.”

Pudsey Community Project’s proposals for the visitor centre include publicly accessible toilets; a small low-cost volunteer-run kiosk providing simple drinks and snacks for the park users; exhibition and activity space for park-based events; and to operate a six day a week youth and children’s group venue to help increase the offering for young people locally and reduce youth antisocial behaviour.

The glasshouse would be run in partnership with local schools as a horticultural classroom space for helping children engage with learning how to help things grow, and especially as a quiet space for working with children with special educational needs. Food grown there would be used locally in charity food provision.

Mr Newbatt wants to transform the visitors centre into an attraction attracting people from across the city, including a ‘travel back in time and explore’ dinosaur adventure, gift shop and community fruit and vegetable patch. It would also feature fully equipped meeting facilities, sensory area, visiting exhibits around local school curriculum and a fully restocked growhouse.

The growhouse will be minimally restocked to tie in with the overall attraction, while incorporating a snack kiosk and seating will be available for both attraction visitors and non patrons.

“I’m still hoping it will be a major milestone in bringing visitors and commercial expenditure back to Pudsey,” Mr Newbatt said. “We’ll keep fighting until the end and will be launching a petition to try get the council to listen to us on our Facebook group – Make The Visitors Centre Great Again – in the next week or so.”

Councillor Dawn Seary (Cons, Pudsey) said: “The closure of the visitors centre and glasshouse over three years ago, to save costs was in my view, a political manoeuvre rather than a genuine cost-saving measure.

“The cost of the buildings were merely absorbed elsewhere: the lights are still on, the plants are still watered and the animals and staff were retained and redeployed elsewhere in Leeds.

“While expressions of interest have been submitted, the Council has a lack of urgency in anything happening to the site, and keeps rolling out new excuses in the face of any proposals. I am thankful to the individuals who have submitted bids to reopen it and care about our park just as much as I do. I’ll keep working hard to hold this council to account so we can get something done, and keep making our community even better.”

Follow WLD‘s coverage of the centre’s closure and possible new lease of life here.

West Leeds Dispatch‘s Cutswatch series has been detailing cuts in West Leeds here.

Concerns over litter and prams dumped in Farnley Balancing Reservoir

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A pram and other litter in Farnley Balancing Reservoir. Photo: John Baron

By John Baron

Farnley Balancing Reservoir is ‘littered with shopping trolleys, bikes and so much litter’ and is urgent need of a cleanup, local residents have said.

WLD has been contacted by concerned residents in the past fortnight, amid concerns for the safety of wildlife, such as swans, who use the reservoir.

Nicky Abbott said: “I would like some help getting someone to take notice of the disgusting state of Farnley Reservoir.

“Today there was a dead swan in the reservoir and someone has erected a tent in the middle of the reservoir. It is littered with shopping trolleys, bikes and so much litter.”

And Emma Louise Rusholme also expressed concerns over wildlife on ‘X’ – formerly known as Twitter:

Responding to concerns, a Yorkshire Water spokesperson told WLD: “We are in the process of arranging a litter pick to help support the community tidy up the area and are looking at longer-term plans for the reservoir.”

Farnley Balancing Reservoir holds water back from the lower Wortley Valley and protects homes and business from flooding.

Locals asked to help design community garden at Calverley Old Hall

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Calverley Old Hall 1
Restoration: Calverley Old Hall. Photo: Mark Stevenson

With major work at Calverley’s historic Old Hall due to finish later this year, the Landmark Trust, which owns the site, has asked local people for help to design the community garden.

The Trust, which buys historic buildings for holiday rentals, secured £1.6million from the National Lottery to restore the hall into accommodation for ten people, along with a community room and garden.

Now, as much of the major internal work at the Hall is well on the way to being finished, the Trust has asked local people to help design the garden which will ultimately be theirs to use. The community will also be asked to help maintain it.

The garden area, at the side of the site, has unmovable boundary walls and slopes down towards the building, so these features need to be taken into account, says the Trust. The final design will include elements of ideas submitted.

To download full details and design template, click here. The deadline for submissions is 29 March.

Calverley Old Hall

Calverley Old Hall, Woodhall Road, is a Grade 1* listed building, which dates back to the 12th century. It was the home of the Calverley family for more than 500 years, fell into disrepair last century and was in danger of crumbling when the Landmark Trust bought it. The two-year renovation programme has uncovered rare Tudor wall paintings, along with historic artifacts.

Read more of our coverage on the Hall here.

Leeds: Council faces criticism over potholes

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Leeds pothole
Leeds pothole

By Don Mort, local democracy reporter

The council will be urged to do more to patch up the city’s roads after figures showed a rise in accidents and compensation payouts linked to potholes.

Leeds City Council will face claims it is not doing enough to tackle the issue at a meeting next week.

But the council has pointed out that reduced funding from central government has hit the budget for repairing damaged roads and pavements.

A white paper motion from the Conservative group said the number of potholes reported in Leeds had risen by almost 60 per cent in the last five years, with 13,722 reports last year alone.

The motion, for discussion at full council on Wednesday (March 20), said: “There were more than 300 accidents relating to potholes in 2023, compared to an average of 190 between 2019 and 2022, and compensation paid out to those affected by potholes has also nearly doubled in recent years.

“Estimates suggest there is a mean average of 19.5 years backlog in highways maintenance and it would take £288m to bring all roads up to an acceptable standard.”

The motion, tabled by Conservative group leader Coun Alan Lamb, said almost £18m for resurfacing works was provided to the council in 2023 from the government’s City Regions Sustainable Transport Settlement.

It said: “But the council should be investing more of its own money in improving the condition of the city’s roads.”

The motion calls on the council to address disparities between the time it takes to fix potholes in different parts of the city.

It said: “Potholes create safety hazards and misery for road users, cause damage to vehicles, and cost the council thousands of pounds in compensation payouts to those affected.”

Helen Hayden, the council’s executive member for sutainable development and infrastructure, said spending on highways maintenance had been hit by  rising inflation and reduced government funding.

Coun Hayden said: “In Leeds we are working in the context of £2.7bn worth of government cuts to our budget and that of course has an impact on what we as a council can do.

“However, keeping the road network in the best condition we can in the face of government budget cuts is critical, which is why this administration continues to invest extra local funding into our network.

“We have a robust asset management system in place in Leeds to monitor and consider works on the highway, with a substantial programme of preventative maintenance works each year which aims to prolong the life of roads and help prevent potholes forming.”

Leeds: Buses to be brought back under public control – updated

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A647 bus lane armley
A bus on the A647 bus lane. Photograph by Richard Walker/ImageNorth

Bus services in West Yorkshire will be brought under public control, as it becomes the third major region to reverse four decades of deregulation.

The Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin has taken the decision in what promises to be the biggest shake up to public transport in the region for decades. 

The landmark move – through a process known as franchising – means routes, frequencies, fares and overall standards for buses in the region will be set by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority instead of private operators, who will instead be contracted to run services on the Combined Authority’s behalf. 

Buses in West Yorkshire were ranked as the worst in England in a passenger survey published this week by the watchdog Transport Focus. Only 66% of passengers were satisfied with their last journey on Arriva buses in West Yorkshire, the lowest rating of more than 50 bus companies nationwide. The operator cited a shortage of drivers for failing services and said it now had a large number of trainees about to complete their courses.

It’s hoped franchised model will allow the Mayor and Combined Authority to better deliver on ambitions for a greener, joined-up and easier to use transport network. 

Some 69 organisations and 1,176 members of the public took part in a  consultation on the options between October and January. Almost three quarters of people fully supported franchising. The authority also received a petition of more than 12,000 signatures.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said the current deregulated system has seen a decline in patronage over many years and the increasing use of public funding used to support services.

“I’m delighted to announce that we are taking back control of our buses in West Yorkshire, empowering the public to hold me to account for better services,” Mayor Brabin added.

“For too long, buses have been run in the interests of private companies, not passengers. Franchising will help us build a better-connected bus network that works for all, not just company shareholders.    

“But we know that change will not happen overnight – the hard work we’ve been doing to improve the bus network continues while we work at pace to bring this new way of running the buses to our 2.4 million residents.” 

Combined Authority meeting

Combined Authority members decided to back the proposal at a meeting today (Thursday, March 14).

New bus service contracts as part of the scheme should be in place in 2027.

Ms Brabin told the meeting: “What a historic moment for West Yorkshire. We are bringing buses back into public control and we are putting passengers first. This is the biggest change in the way buses are run for the region over the last 40 years and will impact on generations to come.”

Opening the meeting, Ms Brabin said the future of bus services was vital to the region. She said: “But we know the current system is not good enough. We hear it from the public all the time.”

A report to the meeting said more than 1.7m bus journeys were taken each week in West Yorkshire. It said: “But evidence shows passengers face many challenges, resulting in poor satisfaction and fewer people choosing to travel by bus, with bus patronage in long-term decline.”

At the same time, the bus network had got smaller and the Combined Authority was having to spend more on the running of bus services, up from £17.1m in 2018/19 to £21.4 m in 2021/22.

The report said the authority was paying for socially necessary bus services which would otherwise not be provided by bus companies. These made up around 15 per cent of all bus journeys.

Leeds City Council leader James Lewis said told the meeting: “The think the time is right to move on. The bus companies have had their chance.”

To ensure a smooth transition, franchising will be introduced in phases, with the first franchised buses up and running in parts of Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield from March 2027. In the meantime, the Combined Authority says it will continue with its £2 Mayor’s Fares, increased frequencies on key routes, investment in bus stations and shelters and new bus services. 

Reaction

A spokesperson for Arriva Yorkshire was today positive about the decision. She said: “We welcome confirmation of Mayor Tracy Brabin’s intention to move towards a franchising model for local bus services in West Yorkshire.

“We know from our experience in London and across Mainland Europe that franchised networks can deliver the successful and high performing services that local communities deserve. We look forward to working closely with the Mayor and her team to help achieve their ambitions for improved bus services for passengers in West Yorkshire.”

Director of civic watchdog Leeds Civic Trust, Martin Hamilton, also welcomed the decision. He said: “The bus services in West Yorkshire are currently inadequate to support the transport needs of the population.

“Bringing the service under public control will mean that decisions on routes, frequencies and the overall quality of the bus service will be determined by need and not by profit.

“It will take several years before a franchising system is fully up and running. In the meantime, it is vital that the combined authority continues to work with bus operators to improve the service and to speak to bus users about the sort of service they want when franchising is introduced.”

AW Hainsworth hosts mental health event for employers

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Some of the AW Hainsworth team.

AW Hainsworth, a British fabric manufacturer and woollen mill based in Stanningley Bottom, is hosting an event for employers to learn about supporting mental health at work.

The event, in partnership with Leeds Mind, is part of their national initiative to support employers’ positive approach to mental health at work.

The session will bring up to 20 local employers together to hear about AW Hainsworth’s journey with overcoming stigma and supporting mental health at work. 

AW Hainsworth has signed the Mindful Employer charter, a public declaration of its ambition to support the mental well-being of its staff, and is part of the Leeds Mindful Employer Network, commissioned by Leeds City Council. The specialist textile company was recently recognised as the Leeds Mindful Employer Network Member of the Quarter. 

In recent years, they have introduced menopause training for all management staff, mental health first aid training, and external mental health support as part of their commitment and investment in workplace well-being. 

Amanda McLaren, managing director at AW Hainsworth, said: “We’ve invested significantly in supporting positive mental health and wellbeing at work, so it’s always nice to be recognised for our efforts. Although there’s still so much more we plan to do to champion positive mental health, we hope our journey will inspire other business leaders to drive action and change within their organisations. 

“Being a part of the Leeds Mindful Employer Network helps equip us with the knowledge and skills to create a mindful work environment for all our employees. It also gives us the opportunity to learn from and network with other businesses on the same path as us.”

The Leeds Mindful Employer Network brings over 700 local employers together to champion positive mental health at work and share ideas and discussions. It is a unique offer to Leeds, putting the city at the forefront of initiatives to promote workplace mental health and wellbeing.

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Open meeting will discuss Stanningley Park improvements

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Stanningley Park missed out on funding.

Volunteers from The Friends of Stanningley Park group are inviting all local residents and businesses to attend their next open forum meeting to discuss ways to improve the park.

The meeting provides a chance to discuss ideas and give people a chance to get more involved in the group.

Councillor Kevin Ritchie (Lab, Bramley & Stanningley) will be providing updates regarding the ongoing improvements from the council as well as talking about potential funding and proposals for community led events. Everyone is welcome to attend.

“This is an open meeting and I would encourage as many people as possible to come along and get involved,” said Cllr Ritchie. “I am looking forward to seeing the community getting involved and helping to progress development in the park.”

The Friends of Stanningley Park group is a newly formed group of volunteers who are trying to make a difference to the green space. They are actively seeking more members who are willing to get hands dirty with litter picking, planting trees and organising fun community events. They are also seeking the support of businesses who may be able to help with small amounts of funding or donations of materials or raffle prizes etc.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, 19 March, 6pm to 7pm at St John’s Methodist Church, Bright Street, Stanningley. The event can be found on Facebook or e-mail friendsofstanningleypark@gmail.com for more details.

WLD reported earlier this week on the council’s Inner West Community Committee approving a £36,000 grant towards a revamp of a run-down multi-use games area (MUGA) in Stanningley Park.

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Meet the new owners of Farsley DIY shop – as much-loved couple retire after 42 years

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Luna the dog with new Homeconomy owners Chris and Gaynor Preston-Routledge (left) and former owners Helen and Glenn Parker (right). Photo: John Baron

A popular couple are retiring after 42 years of running their hardware store in Farsley.

Homeconomy, on Town Street, has been loved and owned by Helen and Glenn Parker since 1982, selling everything from pencil sharpeners to step ladders.

The business has survived some really tough economic times – including recessions and the Covid pandemic – and after two years of being for sale it has been bought by a new couple called Chris and Gaynor Preston-Routledge.

Although Helen and Glenn are looking forward to retirement and carrying out DIY at home, they are both still heavily involved at Homeconomy as they hand over the business to the new owners.

Helen told WLD: “I am so happy that a lovely and kind couple has taken the business on. We have built the place up for 42 years. We know that it is going to stay the same traditional store it is now, as well as looking to the future.

“We’ve loved it here. The people of Farsley are really lovely, and it’s always been a busy – it’s a good little shop.”

Helen recalls the story of htheir marriage in 1984 – they married on a Tuesday as it was a half-day closing for the shop.

“I will miss the customers without any shadow of a doubt,” she added. “Over 42 years we have got to know different generations – the grandparents, their children and the grandchildren.”

Gaynor, who runs Allura Furnishings at nearby Cape Mills in Coal Hill Lane, said: “I have lived in Farsley all my life and always thought it would be nice to run a shop. I also restore furniture, and we’ve always come here to buy things I need for that business. It’s always had everything we needed.

“Every so often I would look at shops to buy and one day I went ‘oh!’ as soon as I saw this place popped up.”

Gaynor has fond memories of the place. “I always knew if Helen and Glenn didn’t have it in the shop then they would know where to get it, and if they didn’t know where to get it then it probably didn’t exist!

“This place is like a Tardis when you come in, every inch is filled with stock, and every room upstairs is full of stock, too! It’s a real Aladdin’s cave. There is stuff everywhere, often up to the ceilings upstairs.”

Gaynor and Chris aim to keep the business as it is now. “It doesn’t feel real while they are both still here helping us – it doesn’t feel like it’s ours yet. The number of people who have come in to wish us well and to wish Helen and Glenn well has been unbelievable.”

Homeconomy will be open seven, rather than six days a week. Check out its website here.

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Armley: Meeting to hear update on dilapidated clinic site

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The former Theaker Lane clinic site in Armley. Photo: Google

Plans for the dilapidated and dangerous former Theaker Lane clinic site in Armley will be on the agenda of the next Armley Forum public meeting.

The most recent proposals to demolish the former clinic and build 18 apartments on the site were submitted to Leeds City Council for approval in July 2022 – but the plans are still awaiting a final decision.

The derelict site, on Theaker Lane, off Armley Town Street, has sat empty for many years and has been subjected to vandalism, arson and anti-social behaviour. It’s been branded locally as an ‘eyesore’. Council planning officer Michael Doherty will provide an update on the latest developments at the site at the meeting.

Previous unsuccessful plans for the Theaker Lane clinic site include a 22-bed hostel with six kitchens in 2016. The building was subject to an arson attack in 2018, dubbed at the time by Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves as a ‘wake up call’ for Leeds City Council to properly secure the building.

Other agenda items include an update on Armley Town Street developments from highways officer David O’Donaghue, as well as the regular crime and housing updates.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, 19 March 2024, 7pm at Armley Hub. All welcome to attend.

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Run-down Stanningley Park MUGA and Burley Park tennis courts set for revamp

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The MUGA in Stanningley Park will be resurfaced

By John Baron

Councillors in ‘inner’ West Leeds have approved a £36,000 revamp of a run-down multi-use games area (MUGA) in Stanningley Park.

Members of the Inner West Community Committee approved the grant to resurface and re-paint Stanningley Park MUGA, which is in need of improvements to encourage greater community use. Last night’s meeting heard the work will cost £54,000 in total.

Councillors approved a £10,876 grant towards a £108,000 project to revamp the tennis courts in Burley Park.

The grant will be used to resurface and repaint the three courts and replace all net posts and nets, which will bring the courts up to a ‘very good’ standard. Fencing around the courts will also be replaced.

The money came from the council’s community infrastructure levy (CIL) fund, but Councillor Jim McKenna (Lab, Armley) raised concerns that the money would take up much of the CIL budget and that the deprived Armley ward ‘had had very little from CIL’ and told his fellow councillors ‘there are other sources [of funding]’ they could use.

But other councillors pointed out no scheme for CIL money had been put forward for Armley Ward.

Cllr Fiona Venner, (Lab, Kirkstall) said other sources of funding had already been allocated in her ward and added: “You have not put any applications in, Bramley and Kirkstall have put schemes forward.”

Cllr Caroline Gruen (Lab, Bramley & Stanningley) said that the Stanningley Park scheme had been flagged up in advance at the last inner west meeting. “Armley councillors may wish to do the same so we can discuss it,” she added.

Councillors said they would look favourably at any future scheme put forward by Armley councillors.

Other grants approved include:

  • Kirkstall Art Trail – £4,000.
  • Kirkstall Festival – £8,000. Eight councillors from all three wards agreed to put forward funds allocated to them as it was felt the event attracted attendees from across West Leeds. £5,000 came from Kirkstall wards, with £1,500 coming from funds allocated to Armley and Bramley & Stanningley wards. Only Cllr McKenna voted against, saying residents in the more deprived parts of Armley were unlikely to travel to the event.
  • Kirkstall School Transition Club – £2,215 to continue a transition group for those young people living in the Kirkstall area who are in year 6 and will be transitioning into year 7.
  • The Conservation Volunteers – £8,241 to deliver 22 practical environmental action days with targeted health and wellbeing outcomes.
  • Friends of Armley and Gotts Park – £2,935 for community events in the park.
  • Armley Basketball Project – £7,620.
  • Bramley Youth Clubs – £1,200.
  • DAZL Bramley Dance Programme 2024 – £3,861 to run weekly creative dance sessions.
  • Breeze in the Park Event 2024 – Inner West (Bramley, Armley, Kirkstall) – £11,400.

A £12,450 bid from Interplay Theatre Trust for LS12 Creative Project to develop young people’s skills in theatre and film making was deferred for further information.

Members of the Inner West Community Committee also heard that their budget for grants in the next financial year had been reduced by 15%.

The committee is made up of nine councillors from the Armley, Bramley & Stanningley and Kirkstall wards. All nine councillors are Labour. Community representatives also sit on the committee, but have no voting rights.

The meeting was held at The Eric Atkinson Centre in Wellington Gardens, Bramley, and the full agenda can be found here.

Sorry Farsley Celtic slip into relegation dogfight as Warrington take the spoils

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Farsley Celtic's Michael Coulson hits the deck against Warrington. Photo: John McEvoy

By John Baron

Farsley Celtic’s wretched run of form continued as they slipped to their third home defeat in a row following a 2-0 reverse against Warrington Town, which left them just five points above the relegation zone.

The Celts were comprehensively beaten, failing to register a shot on target in 90 minutes as they fell to two quick goals just before half time. They have recorded only one win from their last eight league games, and in the 15 games since their win against Gloucester on 23 December they’ve managed three wins, scoring just 12 times.

Particularly worrying for The Celts, who have sat comfortably in mid-table for much of this season, was the tepid manner of recent performances.

George Smith tussles for the ball against Warrington. Photo: John McEvoy

Head coach Clayton Donaldson told club media last night was a “disappointing result and a disappointing game.”

“It’s just not working for us at the moment,” Donaldson said. “We seem to have lost that fight, that bite – that grit – that’s Farsley Celtic. We have gone away from that and it’s about trying to get that part of us back. We are just too easy to play against at the moment. We just need to go back to basics at times, so it’s disappointing really.

“We need to go back to what we were at the start of the season and mid-season – very solid, hard to beat and aggressive. I thought against Rushall, Alfreton and today they have done to us what we normally do to teams.”

David Adewoju on the ball against Warrington. Photo: John McEvoy

Warrington almost took the lead inside the first minute as the lively Connor Woods had his effort cleared off the goal-line, and three minutes later the visitors somehow didn’t score after an almighty goalmouth scramble from a corner. On 13 minutes Woods hit a left-footed volley across goal which trickled narrowly wide.

Farsley’s Ryan Watson blazed well over from a corner, but that was the Celts’ only effort in the first 45 minutes.

Keeper Zan-Luk Leban then denied a close-range Amos header with a fantastic diving save. The resulting corner led to pinball in the Farsley box as Warrington pressed for the opener.

Twelve minutes later the visitors were finally ahead, Woods pouncing on a rebound following a terrific double save from Leban. Three minutes later Warrington doubled their lead when Woods finished from a tight angle.

The second half was a scrappy affair. Farsley’s only chance came on 69 minutes when Tom Allan rose at a corner but couldn’t keep his header down.

Warrington finished the stronger team and could have added a third goal six minutes from time. Buckley-Ricketts rattled the Farsley crossbar from range and the rebound was scrambled home but the referee rightly ruled it out for a foul on Leban. Amos then failed to convert two good chances and Woods just missed out on his hat-trick by dragging his shot narrowly wide in injury time.

Clayton Donaldson interviewed after last night’s game.

The Celts, who have been under a transfer embargo imposed by the National League on 23 February, travel to play-off challengers Boston United on Saturday as they seek to get their season back on track.

Leeds: Plans to slash housing waiting list

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Photo: Google

By Don Mort, local democracy reporter

A chronic shortage of council housing means thousands of people could be removed from the waiting list under changes to the city’s lettings policy.

Leeds City Council launched a consultation on plans to exclude people who are already adequately housed from the social housing register.

The proposal would remove around 18,000 people who currently have a band C or D priority from the waiting list, which currently stands at 27,000.

More than 5,000 people currently have top-priority band A status, but most are waiting more than two years on average to be offered a home.

The council said most people on the register were in band C and had little or no chance of being offered a home.

Jess Lennox, the council’s executive member for housing, said almost 2,500 people had taken part in an online consultation.

She said: “We are proposing to take the steps within our powers to help as many people in our city as we possibly can, as well as undertaking our own council housing growth project to maximise the numbers of social and affordable housing in the city.”

Options being considered include removing applicants who do not have a local connection to Leeds, and those with savings or other assets of more than £60,000.

The age a person is considered to need their own bedroom could be raised from 16 to 18, and households with dependent children living in high-rise blocks could no longer given priority to move into a house.

The council is also considering a new “direct-let” category, which would see properties given directly to homeless applicants instead of being advertised.

It is hoped the move would reduce spending on temporary accommodation and speed up support for people in a housing crisis.

The length of time people hold a band A or B priority on the register could also be extended from 180 days to a full year.

A report to the council’s Housing Board said: “There is continued pressure on the Leeds Homes Register.

“This has contributed towards average wait times for someone with band A status increasing to 146 weeks, creating significant pressures to the system, with increasing numbers of households in temporary accommodation or supported accommodation who no longer require support and are urgently awaiting move on.”

An online consultation will be open until March 28 before a final report on the proposals is drawn up in the summer. The government has been carrying out a separate national consultation on social housing allocations.