Leeds Civic Hall. Photo: John Baron/westleedsdispatch.com
Tom Hinchliffe comfortably held the Bramley & Stanningley Ward seat for Labour at this year’s Leeds City Council elections.
The count was held this morning in the First Direct Arena in Leeds following voting on Thursday.
Cllr Hinchcliffe received 2,662 votes, 1,966 ahead of Conservative candidate Adam Cook’s 696.
At the count Cllr Hinchcliffe thanked Bramley & Stanningley residents for their support.
He said: “Voters have sent a message to the Conservatives and have kept them out of our community. Councillors Kevin Ritchie and Caroline Gruen do a fantastic job in the ward and I’m delighted to be working alongside them.
“People across the country have voted for change today.”
Cllr Hinchcliffe takes over from Jools Heselwood, who stood for election in Weetwood Ward. Labour have dominated the ward since 2003.
Police have cordoned off a section of part of the towpath next to the Leeds Liverpool Canal after a man’s body was found near a Calverley pub.
A statement from West Yorkshire Police said: “At 6.15am this morning, police were called to a body found in the canal near to The Railway pub in Calverley.
“The body of a male was removed from the water, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
“A scene remains in place and enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances.”
The annual sponsored walk around the eight-mile Calverley Millennium Way will take place on Saturday 13 May.
The circular walk around the village was first started in 2000, thanks to support from Leeds City council and Calverley Rotary Club, to mark the millennium and celebrate the historic tradition of beating the bound of the parish.
This year, walkers will set off from the Calverley Arms at 11am, with registration from 10.30am.
All sponsorship raised will go to the Alzheimer’s Society. The moderately easy walk is on paths and fields, with some uneven ground and stiles.
Mickey the dog casting his vote in Kirkstall Ward back in 2019. Photo: Mindy Goose
By David Spereall, local democracy reporter
Voters across Leeds have headed to polling stations across the city today (Thursday) to take part in the local elections.
One third of the 99 seats on the city council are being contested this year and the councillors who are elected will serve a four year-term, representing the people in their ward.
West Leeds Dispatch will be reporting from the election count at Leeds First Direct Arena tomorrow (Friday). A single seat in each of the city’s 33 wards – including Armley, Bramley & Stanningley, Calverley & Farsley, Farnley & Wortley, Kirkstall and Pudsey – are up for grabs
This year’s local elections will be the first where voter ID is required at polling stations, following a change in the law.
A driving licence, passport or voter authority certficate are among the forms of identification being accepted, although a full list of what can be used is available on the Electoral Commission’s website here.
TResults from all wards across the city announced over the course of the day.
Labour currently controls the city council, as it holds 56 of the 99 seats. The Conservatives are the main opposition party with 21, while the Liberal Democrats hold seven seats. The remaining slots are divided between the Green Party, Morley Borough Independents, Garforth and Swillington Independents and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Volunteers are needed to join a small group looking to raise funds to upgrade Kirkstall Abbey playground.
Volunteers from the Friends of Kirkstall Abbey Park group are working with the council and councillors to have a much improved playground and play and exercise equipment for all ages and abilities.
A spokesperson said: “We really need more volunteers, in particular to organise community consultation and fundraising such as sponsorship.”
Send your details to friendsofkap@gmail.com by Tuesday, May 9 and someone from the Friends will be in touch.
Plans to change a disused 19th century stable in Bramley into a house have been approved by Leeds City Council planning officers.
Applicant Robert Cardis has successfully applied for a Listed building application to transform the former stable into a four-bedroom house at 34 and 36 Rock Lane.
Landowner Mr Cardis wants to refurbish and convert the building while demolishing the later extensions to make way for a new single-storey extension.
A concealed triple garage will also be built into the land.
Council planning officers said the scene, which had been revised, was complaint with local and national planning policies.
In the first phase of development Mr Cardis has already renovated the two 18th century grade II listed cottages on the site.
An unsuccessful application for the extension and conversion of the barn alongside the erection of two new dwellings on the land was submitted last year. But the application was subsequently withdrawn at the request of the planning case officer as the proposed new-build was seen to cause harm to the setting of the listed buildings.
50th anniversary: The Church in Rodley. Photo: Connor Briggs
By Connor Briggs
The Church in Rodley will be celebrating its 50th anniversary with a brass band concert set to perform to mark the occasion.
The event takes place at Church Hall, Wesley Street, Rodley on Saturday 13 May, with the Clifton & Lightcliffe brass band taking the stage at 7.30pm.
The church itself alternates between Methodist and Anglican services, as well as being used for a range of services such as Slimming World, Keep Fit, Ladies Group Meeting, and Local Councillor’s surgery, among others.
Paul Heaton, Chairman of Rodley Village Community Group said: “It’s a hub in the village, the only place with a hall and used often through the week, the problem we have is getting volunteers involved.
“Volunteers are always welcome at the Rodley Village Community Group; we’re getting old and it’s getting harder.
“The church is there and its there to support people, it’s used most nights. It’s a matter of getting people involved.”
Calling for volunteers, Mr Heaton said: “Just come along and get involved to put things on for the people of Rodley because there’s not a lot on in Rodley.”
The event is priced at £6 and can be purchased by emailing paulbheaton2@gmail.com or direct messaging Christine Heaton on Facebook. Any remaining tickets can be bought on the door.
An artist's impression showing how the co-living space above Burley Library may look.
By Connor Briggs
Councillors in Leeds are set to decide proposed plans to turn Grade II listed Burley Library into a six-storey co-living space.
The vote will take place on Thursday 11 May at Leeds Civic Hall as part of the South and West plans panel – and it could see the first co-living space granted in Leeds.
The plans propose to convert the former library into a workspace for both residents of the space as well as the public, with 71 apartments aimed at young professionals created at the site.
In previous council meetings, the proposed pricing of the facilities, which ranged from £295 to £350 a week was criticised.
The proposal was presented by Parklane Group Ltd, which has experience in student and aparthotel developments. Planning permission was granted in 2019 for the redevelopment of the library for co-working spaces and 60 C3 residential apartments.
The former Burley Branch Library. Copyright Adrian Smith and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The application that will be voted on is an amendment to the original proposal, with it changing to become co-living units aimed at graduates and corporate workers.
In their report published this week, council planning officers said that as well as bringing a listed building back into use, a proposed six-storey extension at the back of the venue, “is also considered to be high quality and sympathetic to its setting.”
They added: “The building will sit comfortably to the rear of the former library building without overly dominating the setting of this building.
“Also weighing in favour of the development is the creation of 78 residential units on a brownfield site located within the main urban area with excellent public transport links, close to public transport public services, leisure and employment opportunities.”
The concept of co-living spaces has been recently seen in London, and the plans would be the first in Leeds. In response, Leeds City Council drafted a ‘Technical Planning Guidance on Co-Living’ document.
An artist’s impression showing how a proposed co-living space at Burley Library may appear.
The council report goes on to say: “In assessing the case on its own merits against the existing planning policy and guidance, it is considered that the benefits of the development outweigh any conflict with planning policy.
“As such, it is recommended that, subject to conditions and the completion of S106 agreement, planning permission and the associated listed building consent is granted.”
The property has been vacant for three years, with it originally opening as a library in 1926.
An artist's impression of how Pudsey Sixth Form College could look.
By John Baron
£13 million plans for a new sixth form college in Pudsey will be debated by councillors next week.
The Pudsey Sixth Form College would cater for up to 600 students on the proposed site, which is a former Crawshaw Academy rugby playing pitch off Kent Road.
The proposals have led to both local concerns about the impact on traffic and parking, but also drawn support for building a bespoke further education facility for people aged 16-18 and above.
The applicants, Luminate group, say the college is needed and would offer a “natural” next step for pupils leaving Crawshaw Academy, Co-op Academy Priesthorpe and the Leeds West Academy after Year 11.
Leeds City Council planning officers have recommended that the plans be approved in principle, subject to referral to the Secretary of State and an agreement around the upgrading of off-site sports pitches in the catchment area, traffic calming measures, footpath widening works and parking restrictions.
The site of the proposed sixth form college, off Kent Road. Photo: Google
But Sport England – the arms-length body of government responsible for growing and developing grassroots sport – has an ongoing objection over the loss of the pitch, which has been disused and overgrown for at least 19 years.
In their application, Luminate insisted there is a “surplus” of playing pitches in Pudsey and that its existing pitches to the north of Crawshaw Academy “are more than adequate”.
Concerns have also been raised locally over traffic problems, parking and the lack of public transport and the applicant has also provided a revised travel plan among a number of new documents for the council to consider.
But in a report published this week, council planning officers said: “It is considered that the public benefits of the proposed development outweigh the loss of the protected playing fields by providing a purpose-built 600-place sixth form facility which will meet current and future further education needs in the catchment area.”
Councillors on the south and west plans panel will discuss and decide the application at the south and west plans panel meeting at Leeds Civic Hall next Thursday (11 May, 1.30pm). The meeting will be live-streamed online.
The plans have been brought forward by Luminate Education Group and developed in partnership with Leeds Sixth Form College and schools including Crawshaw Academy, Co-op Academy Priesthorpe and Leeds West Academy in Rodley.
Tom Pagett and a rescued white clawed crayfish from Meanwood Beck.
Native crayfish in danger of being wiped out in Pudsey Beck are due to be rescued next week by Environment Agency chiefs.
Biodiversity specialists have carefully planned rescues of native white-clawed crayfish after the invasive American Signal crayfish and a disease it carries – crayfish plague – are moving through parts of the River Aire catchment in Leeds.
Last week, specialists carried out a rescue at Meanwood Beck in Leeds, where crayfish plague was detected during water sampling. A section of the watercourse upstream of where the plague was found was cut off and fish safely removed before Environment Agency experts carried out a search for native crayfish.
Those rescued, which included females carrying eggs, were then taken for safekeeping in quarantine at Leeds University and York Gate Gardens. Health checks will ensure they are free from crayfish plague before they are released at a future date.
White clawed crayfish rescued from Meanwood Beck.
In the coming weeks, officers will also carry out a rescue at Pudsey Beck, where the presence of American signal crayfish have been confirmed.
The Environment Agency is working with partners including Yorkshire Water and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to develop a network of ‘ark’ sites, which are locations in catchments where invasive crayfish, and crayfish plague, are absent.
Environment Agency biodiversity specialist Tim Selway, who is leading the project, said: “With so few populations of native crayfish remaining, we must act to preserve what we can.
“The project has taken a lot of planning as we have to ensure the right conditions, that we have the correct licences to handle and move the crayfish from Natural England, and to make sure there is no impact on other wildlife in the river before going ahead.
“The endangered white-clawed crayfish plays a vital role in keeping our waterways clean and as a source of food for other native species, so it’s vital we take action to ensure its survival.
“Crayfish plague is fatal for the native species but hopefully those rescued from Meanwood Beck last week will now be able to thrive in another suitable location free from the danger of disease.”
Rare white-clawed crayfish are the UK’s only native, freshwater crayfish, and are most at risk from the American signal crayfish, which spread crayfish plague and compete for food. They have struggled to survive after the more aggressive signal crayfish population has taken hold across the country.
Environment Agency investigations revealed there are no signal crayfish present in Meanwood Beck, which means the disease spores were most likely accidentally transferred from another infected watercourse, either via equipment, clothes, boots or paws.
Once crayfish plague is present in a watercourse the white-clawed crayfish will usually all succumb to the disease over several weeks or months as the fugus spreads through the river.
Officers are now calling for people to play their part by making sure they ‘check, clean and dry’ to prevent the spread of invasive species.
Anything who has contact with the water and riverbank needs to be cleaned thoroughly and dried until it has been dry for 48 hours. More information can be found on theinvasive non-native species website.
If you see any crayfish, alive or dead, leave it where it is and report it immediately to the Environment Agency on 0800 807060. If possible, take close-up photos of the crayfish to help identify the species. It is illegal to handle or remove crayfish from the water without the correct licences.
