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Green light to transform former GP surgery into special educational needs school

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Plans: Sunfield Medical Centre. Photo: Google

by John Baron

A former medical centre in Stanningley will become a state-funded school for children with special educational needs.

Leeds City Council planners this week approved a planning application for the school at the former Sunfield Medical Centre building.

It was agreed to limit the number of pupils to 40 with a maximum of 14 staff in order to address concerns raised by the council’s highways department over insufficient off-street parking.

Initial plans had proposed 55 pupils and 20 staff members.

There were 14 objections against the plans, mainly concerning parking and highways issues, as well as increased noice and disturbance in a residential area.

A planning officer’s report approving the plans stated: “On balance and after careful consideration it is considered that the applicant has provided sufficient details to confirm that highway, contamination and noise issues have been satisfactorily addressed.”

Plans to change the use of the building by Burnley based Helm Academy would see the school run from 8.30am-4.15pm Monday to Friday.

A planning statement submitted with the application said: “The intention is to create a nurturing and stable environment where every interaction is underpinned by empathy, understanding and evidence based practice.

“There remains a clear need for SEND places in the area to meet the diverse and complex needs and ultimately improve outcomes for such pupils.

“The teaching staff will specialise in working with students who have special educational needs or disabilities staff and, in particular, will be trained to recognise and respond to the impact of early trauma, attachment difficulties and neurodiversity ensuring every pupil is met with compassion and a tailored approach.”

The new school will be operated by Broomfield South SILV (Specialist Inclusive Learning Centre), an all-age Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school serving South Leeds.

As previously reported by WLD, the Sunfield Place site has been empty since the surgery merged with Hillfoot Surgery in Pudsey in 2023. Plans to transform the building into flats were withdrawn last October.

The plans can be read in full here.

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Diary date: Farsley’s Aston Martin Day 2025 set to draw crowds (and cars)

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Farsley aston Martin day 2021
Aston Martin Day in Farsley. Photo: Damon Sugden

by John Procter

Aston Martins are coming back again to Farsley on Saturday, 6 September 2025.

The cars will start to assemble at Farsley Celtic’s car park on Newlands.

At 10.30am they will start to drive away up Newlands then turn left and right on to Frances Street.

The cars will drive down Town Street until they get to Sunny Bank Mills and assemble in the car park.

They remain here until approximately 12pm.

The annual event is organised in conjunction with with the Aston Martin Owners Club but any Aston Martin Car Owner is very welcome on the day.

Farsley Aston Martin newlands
Photo: Mark Stevenson

History

Farsley’s connections with Aston Martin date back many years.

Although the main manufacturing plant of James Bond 007’s car of choice was in Huddersfield, they also had a factory at Newlands Works in Farsley. By 1950 Newlands was the main producer for tractor engines and the power unit for the new Aston DB2.

Although some of the business had started to move by the mid 50s, rolling chassis were still produced at Newlands and test driven in Farsley.

Provided the cars could reach 90 mph in third up the hill towards Rodley they were signed off. The company left the site in 1957 after deciding not to renew their lease.

A 5.5 tonne memorial was unveiled at Newlands in 2015 to mark the Aston Martin link with the village. The memorial plaque was unveiled by five former apprentices from The David Brown Aston Martin site in Newlands who helped build the DB2/4. The cars featured in the James Bond film Goldfinger.

Further reading

Read more on the history behind the Aston Martin plinth in WLD‘s Mark’s History column here.

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Bus companies urged to ‘get involved’ in new Weaver network

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The number 72 bus on Stanningley Road. Photo: John Baron

West Yorkshire has made its first step towards selecting bus operators to help run the region’s new Weaver Network.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (CA) started a technical procurement process this week by opening its “dynamic market” for potential operators, large and small.

This sets out strict criteria for any bus companies wanting to bid to run services in the region, to raise standards and ensure value for money.

A new West Yorkshire-wide, franchised network will see bus fares, routes and timetables set by the CA, with bus operators accepted and registered onto the dynamic market invited to bid for contracts to run services.

WLD reported last month West Leeds is likely to be one of two areas to pilot bus franchising from 2027.

The work will ensure West Yorkshire becomes only the third area in the country, after Manchester and Liverpool city regions, to start the process of signing up operators to run franchised services.

Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Transport Committee Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe said: “We are eager to see franchised services running as soon as possible, and the new dynamic market ensures we are on the road to better buses.

“This is our opportunity to challenge operators to show us what they can offer as part of a new system where the passenger comes first.

“I invite operators large and small to get in touch and get involved, and help us to create a better-connected West Yorkshire.”

It is hoped the first contracts can be awarded in Spring/Summer 2026, to start in 2027.

Horsforth: School uniform exchange makes a difference to parents and environment

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St Margaret's, Horsforth. Photo: Google

By John Baron

A Horsforth councillor is encouraging parents to use the school uniform exchange group this summer.

The exchange provides school uniform to any child in Horsforth by encouraging children and families to think of others and the environment instead of throwing items away.

All items of school uniforms are accepted including coats, shoes and bags.

Councillor Emmie Bromley (Lab, Horsforth) said on social media: “How lucky we are, not just to have a treasure find (money saving) uniform exchange here in Horsforth but also a quick, proactive decision we can make for the environment by recycling uniform.

“I’ve dropped off some uniform today and picked up at St Margaret’s Church, where it’s being stored this summer. Thanks to Nigel Sinclair and Claire Evans for facilitating and hosting alongside, The Play Cafe, this summer.”

Uniform is available all summer from St Margaret’s Church. There is also a box there for donations if you have any uniform that you would like to donate.

More details can be found here.

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Australian songwriter set for Cardigan Arms solo show

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Liz is coming to the Cardigan Arms. Photo: Lisa Businovski

Acclaimed Australian songwriter Liz Stringer has announced a run of intimate solo shows – including The Cardigan Arms – to celebrate the release of her seventh studio album. 

Liz made the move to the UK in early 2024, in pursuit of a new creative life. She has twice been nominated for the Australian Music Prize, was premier folk festival Port Fairy’s Artist of the Year in 2023 and named as ‘An Emerging Legend of Australian Song’ by Woodford Folk Festival in 2020.

cardigan arms kirkstall road
Cardigan Arms, Kirkstall Road.

Liz has carved out a unique place in the Australian industry and a cult-like following due to her staunch independence as an artist and her ability to connect deeply with audiences.

From 2020 to 2022 Liz toured as a backing vocalist with Australian luminaries Midnight Oil, has recorded an album at Wilco’s The Loft studios in Chicago and, most recently, created her newest release The Second High with producer/engineer Beni Giles (Lianne La Havas, Oscar Jerome) in Brixton, London.

Released in March 2025, the album, described as ‘intelligent and assured’ by The Guardian, sees Liz broaden into a wider range of her musical influences, using jazz, soul and funk as a canvas on which to squarely centre songs which draw on themes of self-actualisation, social inequity and the dogged pursuit of truth and authenticity.

She is appearing at The Cardigan Arms, off Kirkstall Road, on Wednesday, October 8. Tickets can be bought here.

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Model ship made from bones makes waves at Armley museum

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Curator John McGoldrick with an intricate model ship carved from bone by a French prisoner during the Napoleonic Wars.

An intricate model ship carved from bones by a French prisoner during the Napoleonic Wars is among a fleet of maritime miniatures making waves at an Armley museum.

Delicately crafted more than 200 years ago from what is believed to be whalebone, the incredible replica recreates in extraordinary detail a magnificent three-masted whaling ship.

It is one of a number of historic model ships currently being assessed and cleaned at Leeds Industrial Museum during a comprehensive audit of the collection.

Complete with an elaborate figurehead, planked deck and carved helm with a steering gear and compass box, the bone model dates from the early 19th century, and is believed to be an example of the type carved by French captives who were held in British prisons and aboard ships.

During the Napoleonic Wars, which took place from 1792 until 1815, French prisoners whiled away the hours of incarceration by painstakingly fashioning such bone and ivory ship models from whatever materials they had at their disposal.

Usually using leftover bone, the prisoners were also known to employ hair, clothing and jewellery. It normally took a prisoner years to complete a single model.

John McGoldrick, Leeds Museums and Galleries’ curator of industrial history, said: “The art of making model ships has existed for centuries and is as old as shipbuilding itself.

“These remarkable models have been made for purposes including testing out new technology, paying tribute to impressive feats of maritime engineering or simply as a popular hobby.

“Each of the model ships in our collection has also been made at a unique and very different moment in history, but what unites them is the ingenuity and attention to detail which has gone into capturing each minute feature.

“That level of dedication and commitment speaks volumes about how impressive these ships were and much they inspired and motivated each model maker to reach such incredible feats of creativity.”

Model ships also collected and stored at the museum include a twin-masted steamer and a steam sailing vessel painted in a diorama alongside a lighthouse and harbour wall.

The models are among an array of vintage machinery stored, conserved and displayed at the museum, which was itself once the world’s largest woollen mill.

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Volunteers join together to support Swinnow Community Centre

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An alliance of builders, sub-contractors, consultants and educators have joined forces to give a new lease of life to Swinnow Community Centre.

Designed to create a safe space for Swinnow resident, the community project included volunteers from Caddick Construction Group, Willmott Dixon and Pudsey-based M&E contractor, G&H, and a host of partners from across Leeds and the surrounding area.

Working with the centre’s Lucy and Will Munton, the team of 38 volunteers helped to transform the outdoor space to allow for more events and activities for local families. Work included clearing weeds and overgrown brambles to make way for new children’s play equipment and seating.

Completed over two days, the community project saw the team paint fences, re-plant flowerbeds, and clear and restore pathways. Volunteers also created a wheelchair accessible herb and vegetable garden to provide a fully inclusive community resource.

The project formed part of a wider social value investment programme by Willmott Dixon through its work to deliver 82 new affordable homes at Hough Top in Swinnow on behalf of Leeds City Council.

Caddick Construction Group supported the initiative as part of its work in Pudsey, which currently includes the construction of the new Pudsey Sixth Form College on behalf of Luminate Education Group.

The team of volunteers also included a local work experience student who has spent time with Caddick Construction at one of its Leeds-based projects through Bridge Builder, an initiative run by Leeds College of Building.

Paul Dodsworth, Group Managing Director at Caddick Construction Group, commented: “It is amazing to see what can be achieved when we all work together for a good cause. Our day jobs are important, but when we take our time to look around and see where we may be able to help our neighbours, we make a meaningful difference to people’s lives. That is the legacy we can have as builders, and I’m very proud of what the team has achieved.”

Chris Yates, Yorkshire Director at Willmott Dixon, said: “It’s been fantastic to see the local community come together to make a meaningful difference for families who use the community centre.”

“Supporting local organisations and communities in which we work in is at the heart of what we do, and in addition to this project as part of our work at Hough Top, we have spent over 47 hours engaging with local students, delivered 36 apprenticeship weeks and provided 65 hours’ worth of careers mentoring for young people aged under 24.”

Full list of organisations involved: 

  • Willmott Dixon – Volunteers, tools and financial donations
  • G&H – volunteers
  • Caddick – volunteers
  • Caddick Civil Engineering – volunteers
  • Leeds College of Building – volunteers
  • Wernicks (cabin hire) – volunteers
  • Beauparc – volunteers
  • LSS Waste – skip donation x 2
  • Atlas Green – top soil, mulch, weed membrane, loan of petrol strimmer and herb donation
  • Forward Leeds – Volunteers
  • We are Footprint – Volunteers and plant donation
  • HVSS – Hire of mini digger and 2 operatives
  • Ridings Design Consultants– Volunteers
  • Gleeds – Volunteers
  • Pick Everard – Volunteers
  • VHE – Volunteers and tools
  • Swinnow residents – volunteers
  • Akzo Nobel – donations of all fence paint

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Horsforth: Repair Cafe returns in September

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St Margaret's Parish Church Hall, Horsforth. Photo: Google

by John Baron

Do you have an item that needs a fix rather than throwing away?

Horsforth’s Repair Café aims to fix items that may be broken and can range from clothing, jewellery, electronic equipment, garden equipment, children’s toys, TV remotes, fans, electrical etc.

The repair cafe is completely free and staffed by volunteers. The event is run by Horsforth Climate Action.

It runs at St Margaret’s Church, on Saturday, 6 September, 1-4pm. Details here.

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Owner’s message as Bramley Wholefoods closes its doors

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Bramley Wholefoods.

by John Baron

The owner of a shop selling zero waste products in Bramley Shopping Centre has sent an emotional farewell to customers.

Bramley Wholefoods specialised in zero-waste products and enabled shoppers to take their own containers to buy goods, such as pasta, pulse, spices, cereals and dried fruit. It also sold toiletries, pet supplies and eco-friendly cleaning products.

It set up in Bramley in 2011 as EcoTopia as a family owned plastic-free refill shop, run by sisters Samantha Newton and Michelle Arthur, along with Michelle’s partner Daniel Ribeiro. It later rebranded as Bramley Wholefoods.

Owner Michelle said in a post on social media: “Thank you for all your love and support, Bramley!

“Though the Bramley Centre location is closed, any remaining stock is available online while supplies last!

“After countless memories and interactions at the Bramley Wholefoods store, I’ve officially closed the doors. Serving this wonderful community with plastic-free eco-friendly products has been an incredible journey.

“Since we opened EcoTopia in Leeds city centre in 2018 I’ve met so many wonderful and determined people who I will miss dearly. It’s meant so much to see so many people taking part in our mission to reduce single use plastic in Leeds.

“I really hope everyone can continue the mission after I am gone. Stay strong and determined! Slowly but surely we can make it through.”

“Here’s to brighter futures and a greener world, one step at a time I wish all the very best to everyone. Thank you.”

EcoTopia’s Central Arcade shop closed in 2023.

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Cardigan Fields: ‘Excessive’ KFC banner refused permission

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KFC at Cardigan Fields. Photo: Google

by John Baron

Plans to install a banner sign at KFC at Cardigan Fields in Burley have been refused by council planners.

The fried chicken chain had applied for planning permission for a number of signs at the restaurant.

These included a new internally illuminated fascia sign; new externally illuminated banner frame sign; new non-illuminated height restriction sign; new externally applied vinyl graphics and new window vinyl graphics.

While the majority of signs were approved as part of the split decision, the council refused the banner frame sign.

A planning officer’s report said: “The Local Planning Authority considers that the proposed banner frame sign… by virtue of its excessive size, scale, length and prominent site frontage position, fails to be well designed and sensitively located and as a result it is considered to significantly harmful to the character and general visual amenity of the prevailing streetscene.”

The plans can be viewed in full here.

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Armley’s ‘killer stairs’ behind boxer’s success

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Matty Bolton, George Graham, Jonny Graham, Zak White and Dean Holby.in Armley Park.

by James Bovington

Leeds bare knuckle boxer Jonny Graham fights for the lightweight BKFC UK title on a show at the Manchester Arena on 27 September.

It’s his fourth bout with international promotion BKFC and credits a weekly training session in Armley as ‘the best way for a fighter to retain and develop his fitness.’

“The 161 steps in Armley Park aren’t called ‘the killer steps’ for nothing,” he said. “There’s a group of us who run up, down and around the steps every Saturday at 10.30am irrespective of the weather.

“It takes half an hour. It puts us through our paces.”

In fact quite a number of sports clubs in west Leeds use the steps as a challenge as do many local people as part of a personal fitness routine.

Thirty-seven-year-old father of two Graham lives in Oulton but hails from Hunslet. 

“I won my first two bare knuckle bouts including my debut on their Leeds show in April 2023. A year ago, I boxed for the welterweight title in Coventry but lost to Connor Tierney.  

“I’m also busy with my own gym, A Side, which is opening in Normanton later this month. It’ll be one of the first purpose-built bare-knuckle gyms in Britain.”

Graham grew up as an amateur boxer and won most of his 33 bouts as a teenager. In his early twenties he enjoyed a two-year professional career as a gloved fighter winning his five professional bouts.

“For various reasons I didn’t carry on, but I’m determined to make a success of my return to fighting. That lightweight title’s coming to Leeds.

“Anyone who thinks they can keep up with us, just meet us at the steps in Armley Park any Saturday morning. But not on 27 September as I’ll be in Manchester. Winning.”

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Horsforth Town Council appeals to find young artist

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By John Baron

Horsforth Town Council has launched an appeal to find the young artist behind an unnamed drawing (captured above).

At the Horsforth Walk of Art event last year the town council had a stall inviting children to create artwork, representing Horsforth, that will be made into a mural which we plan to create to display in the new community building at 3 The Green.

The Town Council has also been contacted by Hatch Supercharged Storytelling, who are putting together a time capsule at Leeds Bradford Airport next week.

A Town Council spokesperson said on social media: “We want to include one of the creations made last summer in the capsule. We wish we could have included them all as they were all wonderful, but we can only include one so a winner was chosen.

“Unfortunately a full name wasn’t submitted, and we would love to give credit to the young budding artist. If you are the creator of the of the picture, or you know who the artist was, and would like to be credited, please do get in touch.”

You can e-mail the office at stephwhite@horsforthtowncouncil.gov.uk by Sunday evening.

The mural of all the pieces will eventually be on display in Horsforth’s new community building at 3 The Green, once it opens.

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