Leeds Civic Hall. Photo: John Baron/westleedsdispatch.com
The Green Party’s Lou Cunningham won Armley ward from Labour by a narrow 72 votes at the 2024 Leeds local elections.
She beat Labour candidate Richard Banks and takes on a seat previously held by Labour’s Jim McKenna for 37 years. Armley has been a stonewall Labour ward since 1990.
Elected: Cllr Lou Cunningham
Cllr Cunningham, a former Labour councillor in Armley, said at the count this afternoon that she felt ‘amazing’. She added: “This success isn’t down to me, it’s a win for the community. I’m looking forward to getting back to Armley to carry on my community work.”
Cllr Cunningham thanked her family, the Green Party team and the community for their support. “I am here and back to carry on what I started,” she added.
Last year Andrew Parnham win the seat for Labour over Lou Cunningham with a 185 majority.
Labour’s Craig Timmins has won Calverley & Farsley ward, unseating existing Tory councillor Amanda Carter.
Cllr Timmins received 3,514 votes, while Amanda Carter received 3,182.
In his victory speech, Cllr Timmins paid tribute to the work of Amanda Carter. He said: “Despite different politics, we both wanted the best for the community.
“Our campaign was fought on positive action in there community and I’m looking forward tor teaming up with my fellow Labour councillor Peter Carlill. This is my home and I am looking forward to grafting for it.”
Labour’s Adele Rae comfortably held Bramley & Stanningley ward for Leeds City Council at the Leeds local elections.
She takes on a seat previously occupied by Caroline Gruen, who has retired.
Cllr Rae received 2,685 votes and, with Conservative Adam Cook in second with 632.
At the election count at the John Charles Centre for Sport, Cllr Rae said she was ‘pleased and delighted’ with her win.
She thanked her family, election team, the counting staff, current councillors Tom Hinchcliffe and Kevin Ritchie, as well as retiring councillor Caroline Gruen for their support. In her maiden speech, she said she ‘really believed’ in the community and aimed to secure money to help people hit by central government cuts.
West Leeds-based Owlcotes Multi-Academy Trust has officially welcomed its latest new member – Spring Bank Primary School in Headingley.
Spring Bank is an inclusive school which is led by the head of school, Jordan License, and executive headteacher, Jonathan Parker.
With just over 170 pupils across seven classes, Spring Bank Primary School is the sixth primary school to join the Owlcotes Multi-Academy Trust, joining Pudsey Primrose Hill Primary School, Pudsey Waterloo Primary School, Calverley Parkside Primary School, Armley Park Primary School, and Manor Wood Primary School in Moortown.
Rachel Muers, chair of governors, said: “We are very pleased to be joining the Owlcotes Multi-Academy Trust. We believe that Owlcotes’ values as a Trust align with our own values as a school community, and we really appreciate Owlcotes’ commitment to working collaboratively and to putting the children at the heart of everything we do. We’re excited about the next steps in the school’s journey.”
Lesley West, CEO of the Owlcotes Multi-Academy Trust, said: “Spring Bank Primary School is a fantastic school with a commitment to achieving the best for its pupils and the school community. We are so pleased to welcome them to the Owlcotes family. Owlcotes was founded back in 2018 with a genuine desire to provide excellent education for pupils. I have no doubt that Spring Bank will fit in perfectly and be a valuable addition to our family of schools”.
Owlcotes Multi-Academy Trust was established in March 2018 by its two founding primary schools, Pudsey Primrose Hill Primary School and Pudsey Waterloo Primary School, with the aim of developing a collaborative approach to school improvement, and a commitment to working closely with all schools in the trust.
Edwardian Grade II Listed Bramley Baths is at the heart of the community.
Sponsored content
Community led Bramley Baths has released a video highlighting its work in bringing the community together and boosting people’s health.
Dubbed ‘the friendliest Baths in the country’ the video shows how its facilities, classes and staff help boost people’s confidence – and highlights the challenges it faces in terms of the upkeep and improving its Edwardian Grade II Listed building.
G&H group Companies
Crown Trading Centre,Hayes.
Pictured: Apprentice Jake Siddle
A Pudsey-based mechanical, electrical and public health service provider has launched its search for apprentices to join the firm later this year.
G&H Group has opened applications for its 2024 apprenticeship scheme, offering a variety of mechanical, electrical, estimating and design, site and office-based trainee roles.
Open to post A-Level, BTEC, or equivalent school or college leavers, the three-year programme in partnership with Leeds Building College and other further education establishments, will lead to a City & Guilds industry-recognised qualification.
A full-time employee from day one, apprentices will learn ‘on the job’, receive mentoring from senior, experienced colleagues, gain hands-on experience, and undertake a variety of tasks alongside their studies.
Jake Siddle joined G&H Group, which is based off South Parade, in August 2022 after completing A-Levels in Maths, Physics and Business Studies at New College, Pontefract.
The 20-year-old is encouraging young people to consider an apprenticeship with G&H Group as an alternative to university.
Jake said: “Whilst studying for my A-levels, I considered applying to study engineering at university, however, I was really keen to start earning and decided to explore apprenticeships. I successfully applied for the apprenticeship at G&H Group and it’s the best decision I ever made.
“There’s no such thing as a ‘typical week’ as everyday is different. On Monday I travel down to London from my home in Wakefield. Based on site Monday to Wednesday, and Friday too, my responsibilities include supporting sub contractors, reviewing designs and ensuring they work, solving coordination challenges, and procuring and buying materials, under the guidance of my mentor. On Thursdays, I attend my Level Four Building Services Engineering Technician course atCity of Westminster College.
“An apprenticeship has without doubt been the best career move for me. I really enjoy the variety of the role and learning about the physics and technicalities behind a building’s mechanics and electrics. My advice to anyone at school or college, unsure of their next move, is to check out an apprenticeship.”
With 12.8 percent of the construction industry’s workforce women, G&H Group is keen to encourage applications from female students.
Rebecca Malone, gas engineer at G&H Group, said: “I’ve enjoyed a rewarding 14-year career in the construction industry and I would encourage all female students to go for it and apply for the apprenticeship scheme, as it’s a great career choice.
“If you are resilient, open minded, inquisitive and willing to learn, then you have the qualities to succeed. I would love to see more female engineers enter the industry and an apprenticeship at G&H Group will provide them with the support, skills and experience they need for a fulfilling career.”
The deadline for applications is 10 May with a September 2024 start. CVs should be sent to katie.hardisty@ghbs.me.
The candidates for Mayor of West Yorkshire can be seen here.
Parties have issued statements setting out their agendas ahead of the vote tomorrow (May 2).
Labour
The Labour group, which controls Leeds City Council, said the vote was the last chance people have to make their voices heard before the next general election
Councillor James Lewis, Leeds Labour leader, said: “We are building new council houses and supporting people sleeping rough. We have raised the wages of some of the lowest paid in Leeds and are working to protect social care from Tory cuts and the Tory cost-of-living crisis.
“We are tackling fly-tipping with an environmental crime unit, and are proud that 99 per cent of all waste in Leeds is either recycled or converted into energy and from the summer glass will be able to go into our green bins later this year.
“All this despite the fact that since 2010, the Conservatives have cut £2.7bn from Leeds. This is money that could have spent on caring for older people and children, potholes, our parks, bins and street cleaning and more. The Conservatives chose to take that money away from our communities and we face the consequences.
“We’ll continue to protect public services in this city, and with our Labour mayor Tracy Brabin we are replacing the police the Tories have cut from our streets.
“We need your support to do all this, and continue to work hard for a fairer, cleaner and greener Leeds. Vote Labour on Thursday 2 May.”
Conservative
Alan Lamb, leader of the city’s Conservative group, said: “The local election is an important opportunity to choose who represents you on Leeds City Council and ultimately, who runs the city.
“It’s a challenging time with funding tight but all too often, the Labour run Council are choosing the wrong priorities. Was £11.5m on a year of culture worth it? Was it better to close off City Square than fix our crumbling roads? Labour have run up huge debts in the city and next year £1 in every £5 will be spent servicing this.
“It doesn’t have to be this way. Your vote on Thursday won’t change anything nationally but it could change what is delivered locally.
“If you want a council who will focus on the basics such as fixing the roads, emptying the bins, keeping our parks and streets clean and safe and managing your council tax carefully, please support our excellent Conservative Councillors to keep working for you, your community and our amazing city.”
Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrat group leader Stewart Golton said people could send out a powerful message, but only if they turn out and vote.
He said: “Parties who have been in charge too long run out of ideas and are more interested in staying in control than doing the right thing. Labour has been in control of our buses, our police, our roads, our parks, our housing estates, our waste collection and care services for 15 years, and frankly they have failed.
“When Liberal Democrats ran Leeds City Council and chaired the local Transport Authority we had more bus services, more PCSOs on our streets, we recycled more, we built the Arena, Council tax was lower, and we didn’t overspend our budgets. Vote Liberal Democrat for the change we need for a fair deal for every part of Leeds.”
Green Party
The Green Party has been represented on Leeds City Council for 26 years. Group leader David Blackburn said: “Coming up with innovative ideas to deal with the real problems of today. Making our homes more energy efficient, thus reducing bills. Supporting local generation of renewables putting solar panels on our roofs. Fighting against the development of green field land which are the lungs of our city.
“We Greens are allowed to think for ourselves. We are not controlled by a centralised whipping structure.
“By electing more Greens, it will allow us to put pressure on the old outdated political parties who like Nero, fiddle while Rome burns.
“If you are serious about the future, want a world that is fit for your our children and our children’s children, then support your local Green Candidate.”
SDP
The Social Democratic Party said it was one of the fastest-growing parties in the country, and free of vested interests.
Middleton Park SDP councillor Wayne Dixon said: “SDP councillors get free votes on everything. We represent our communities and the city of Leeds at large.
“SDP councillors get things done. We get results – securing the rebuild of Broomfield school, developing our local sports clubs, improving the environment by keeping our streets clean and getting the basics sorted! We all live in our communities. That’s important.
“An SDP council would improve people’s lives by resisting waste and getting the basics done – the bins emptied, the streets cleaned, supporting the most vulnerable in our city. Crucially, we will be a voice to hold our West Yorkshire Mayor to account for the lack of Policing and poor public transport.”
Alliance for Green Socialism
The Alliance for Green Socialism said global heating was the biggest threat to human society.
Chapel Allerton candidate Mike Davies said: “The gross inequality of capitalism causes poverty, sickness, conflict and death. The two problems are intertwined. Capitalism depends on endless unlimited growth, impossible on a single planet. The search for a quick profit generates pollution, greenhouse gases and destruction.
“We need democratic green socialism – for all our sakes For Leeds we need a Clean Air Zone to protect people and their children. Real action now on the climate crisis
“An economy for all, not just a tiny minority. Proper jobs, not zero hours contracts. Taxes the rich actually have to pay. Public education, not academies
“National Health publicly owned, funded, and run. Cheap public transport, publicly owned and run.
“Genuinely affordable housing for all. Stop racism, stop Israeli genocide in Gaza
Stop the closure of Little Owls Nurseries. adult social care and a properly funded public NHS.”
The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition said councillors should be working with unions to fight for the resources needed by the city.
Iain Dalton, TUSC candidate for Gipton and Harehills, said: “At present we’re seeing working people’s lives upended by a Labour council doing the Tories’ dirty work.
“Parents and carers at Little Owls Nurseries and creatives at Aire Street Workshops have faced closure proposals with the council refusing to even provide them with the documents these decisions are based on, let alone properly consult them.
“Both proposals should be shelved, using the councils reserves and borrowing powers to keep them open and buy time to build campaigns to secure the necessary funding. We need proper funding for public services, not more tax breaks for the super-rich or spending on wars around the globe.”
Yorkshire Party
The Yorkshire Party said it planned to regenerate derelict sites with new housing, leading to lower property prices and rents.
The Yorkshire Party’s Bob Buxton said: “All new buildings need solar panels and proper insulation, and we’ll retrofit existing homes, reducing the cost-of-living.New homes need new infrastructure, GPs, dentists, schools and transport.
“Many people find it difficult to find a home, especially without a long record of having paid rent. I’ll introduce a rent-guarantor scheme, to bring tenants and landlords together.
“We need a West Yorkshire Metro, with elevated and underground sections, to cut through congestion. It will deliver quicker journeys than trams and buses.
“We’ll introduce a Yorkshire Pass, delivering the best deals for trains and buses No peak time hikes, no cross-border penalties, no need for advanced booking.
“Police must uphold the law without fear or favour. Burglaries, shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and road crime have been allowed to rise. No crimes should be tolerated.”
Kirkstall Brewery is celebrating Britain’s incredible brewery history this bank holiday weekend (3-5 May) with the return of its Great Exhibition of Prize Ales event.
The heritage-themed beer festival, which is being held at the brewery on Kirkstall Road, will see breweries from across the country showcase their excellence and compete to win medals in ten categories of historic beer styles.
Building off the success of last year’s event, the festival will transport guests back in time, with a range of great tasting beers that have been recreated from decades-old recipes. Alongside this selection of historic beverages, there will also be stalls selling traditional food suitable for most dietary recruitments and live entertainment from local artists, such as Alligator Gumbo, Hyde Park Swingers Party, and Louis Louis Louis.
Breweries exhibiting by invitation only will be pouring everything from classic Bitters and Export Pale Ales, to Milds, Porters, Brown Ales and Barleywines, and even oak aged Stock Ales and Imperial Stouts. Some of the breweries confirmed to be in attendance are local favourites Northern Monk, North, and Horsforth Brewery, as well as standouts from further afield, including London’s The Five Points and Manchester’s Marble Beers.
Chris Hall, Kirkstall’s Brand Manager and organiser of the festival, said: “Last year we established a new kind of beer festival that joined breweries large and small, old and new, to celebrate the innovations in brewing that have occurred throughout our history. Over thirty-five different breweries poured beers inspired by the 20th century, 19th century and even older. One brewer even recreated a Bronze Age Ale!”
“This year we wanted to go bigger, and even better,” said Hall. “We’ll be pouring an even wider variety of beers so that there really is something for everyone to enjoy, and we’re inviting local spirits and soft drinks brands to be part of the fun, along with great food and live music.”
Tickets for the Great Exhibition of Prize Ales can now be purchased here and are priced at £18 per session. Upon entry, ticket holders will receive a unique commemorative glass, a program, and their first beer token. Tokens for sale on the day are priced at £2.50 and can be exchanged for a 1/2 pint of beer under 7% ABV, or a 1/3 pint of beer 7% and above.
Former Leeds Rhinos star Jamie Jones-Buchanan has cut the ribbon on a new eco-friendly learning and meeting space which ‘oozes sustainability’ at Pudsey Southroyd Primary School.
The school held a special celebration event yesterday which featured dance and music from pupils as the school unveiled The Cabin, which is a 90 per cent recycled learning space featuring 11 converted shipping containers and recycled Tetrapak to insulate the walls. It will boast a living roof when it is finished and is fully funded by the school.
The facility offers flexible meeting rooms, function space, community bookings, after-school groups, baby groups and toddlers’ activities and more. It replaces the outdated facilities which were previously on the site.
Local councillors and parents were at the launch event, and were entertained by a Leeds Rhinos ‘dance spectacular’ performed by pupils.
Jamie Jones-Buchanan cut the opening ribbon at the new facility and encouraged pupils ‘to write your own story’ there, be creative and ‘most importantly, be the best version of yourself’.
“It’s an honour to come to Southroyd,” the Rhinos’ first director of culture, diversity and inclusivity told the crowd. “I grew up in the Pudsey and Bramley area and attended Priesthorpe School. This whole area helped me in my journey to become a rugby league player when I was younger.”
He said all pupils had potential and encouraged youngsters to ‘go on a journey’. He said the new facility ‘oozes sustainability’ and praised the links between the Rhinos and the school
Final touches are currently being put to the children’s centre, which will officially open in the next couple of weeks.
With a sea of fresh faces and familiar ones, it was obvious that the Buffaloes’ coaches had their work cut out during the week to raise a team for the Elland match, especially with most of the first team away in Benidorm for a stag weekend.
Despite the Buffaloes’ reasonable plea for a postponement, the newly engaged Elland/Greetland coach denied it, even though the Greetland/Elland team also had several players enjoying the sunny shores of Benidorm, making the decision not to postpone the match all the more peculiar.
It came as no surprise that the Buffs suffered their first defeat of the season due to all the changes, but the Bramley officials and coaching staff could be proud of the effort and determination of the players involved who never gave in and battled to the final minute.
A try for Cam Leeming converted by Keiran McFarlane was all Bramley had to show for a gutsy first-half performance as the home team led 18-6 at the break.
An early second half try by Dan Booth, again converted by Keiran McFarlane brought the Buffs within a converted try to the hosts. A converted try by Elland/Greetland was soon negated as Cam Leeming went over for his second try and with McFarlane adding the points the gap was back to six points.
With a full interchange bench at their disposal, the home side capitalised on fresh legs to score two more tries before the final whistle, securing a victory with Buffaloes 18-36.
A full match report by Devon and Andy Johnson can be read on the following link.
Yorkshire men’s league results
Dodworth Miners 30 – York Acorn 10
Wyke 22 – New Earswick All Blacks 28
Despite the loss the Buffaloes still sit proudly at the top of Division Three. After just three rounds of matches only Birstall Victoria have not lost a match, although they have only played in one round so far, proving what a competitive division, this is going to be and augers well for an entertaining season.
This week’s opponents
The weekend has the Buffaloes competing in two cup ties: the first team will host Castleford Panthers, while the A team will embark on a journey to face Garforth.
Castleford Panthers visit West Leeds Rugby Union’s Blue Hill Lane ground standing in second place in division two with two wins from two and so will provide a stern test for the home side.
