IT upgrade to boost Leeds library computer speeds

By

-

August 12, 2025

bramley library — Bramley Library/Community Hub. Copyright Stephen Craven and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

By Don Mort, local democracy reporter

New IT systems will be installed in the city’s libraries after it took frustrated computer users up to 20 minutes to log on.

Leeds City Council said a new internet operating system should address long delays booting up PCs and getting documents to print.

A survey of library users found just 33 per cent thought internet and computer processing speeds were fast enough.

The council is planning to replace Windows 10, used on its public access computers in libraries and community hubs, with Chrome OS.

The move could save the council £65,000 a year in Windows licence costs.

A council report said: “For many years the general performance of the public access computers with Windows as the operating system has been very poor.

“Staff regularly report significant customer frustration and often report increased stress levels as a result.”

A faster booking system called MyPC would also replace the current one, Netloan, saving a further £10,000 per year.

Ninety per cent of people who took part in the survey said PCs in libraries were important for access to services and information.

Users were “overwhelmingly positive” about the new operating system after it was trialled at the Dewsbury Road and Leeds Central libraries.

The report said: “During the pilot, using Chrome OS has taken a 10-20 minute log on time down to being more or less instant to ten seconds.”

Library customers reported a similar speed-up of printing times.

The report said: “Since the installation of Chrome OS and the rollout of the new print provision, there has been a significant improvement to the speed of print jobs for customers.”`

Planning issues on agenda in Horsforth

By

westleedslife

-

August 12, 2025

0

Number 3 the Green — Town Council: The Green, Horsforth. Photo: Google

By John Baron

Town councillors are set to meet this week to discuss the latest planning and licensing applications in Horsforth.

Councillors will note the planning and licensing applications received since last month’s meeting. They will also note and discuss any matters relating to Leeds Bradford Airport and discuss their response to Leeds City Council’s Local Plan, which is a consultation around land allocation across the city.

The meeting will be held at Horsforth Museum, 5 The Green, Horsforth LS18 5JB on Thursday, 14 August 2025 at 7pm. The meeting is open to the public. Attendees can contact admin@horsforthtowncouncil.gov.uk to ensure seating is available.

Sponsored content

Horsforth: Nursery training academy nets ‘outstanding’ Ofsted report

By

westleedslife

-

August 12, 2025

0

Cliffe House Nursery in Horsforth. Photo: Google

By John Baron

A training academy which guides young people to become qualified early years practitioners has been praised by Ofsted.

Cliffe House Day Nurseries Limited is a small independent learning provider that runs Cliffe House Training Academy in Horsforth.

It provides apprenticeships to the staff of Cliffe House Day Nurseries across seven early years settings in West Yorkshire, as well as five other nurseries in the area.

An Ofsted inspector visited the academy, based in Back Featherbank Terrace, last month and rated it as ‘outstanding’ for its quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, apprenticeships and leadership.

The inspector highlighted the ‘rich’ personal development curriculum on offer.

“Apprentices have highly positive and mature attitudes to their learning,” the report said. “They thrive in a culture of high standards and expectations set by staff. They are highly committed to developing their knowledge and understanding of early years, recognising the considerable responsibilities that they have for children.

“Apprentices develop their professionalism quickly and become valued members of staff in their settings. They grow significantly in confidence as their early years knowledge and skills build. Tutors develop apprentices’ skills in communicating with the parents of children very effectively.”

Read the full Ofsted report here.

Sponsored content

Leeds: Council gym fees to rise by £3 per month

By

westleedslife

-

August 12, 2025

1

pudsey leisure centre — Improvements: Pudsey Leisure Centre

By Don Mort, local democracy reporter

The cost of using council leisure centres is set to rise by 11.5 per cent as the local authority seeks to raise funds.

Monthly fees for being an Active Leeds member will increase by £3 per month to £28.95 from September at centres across Leeds, including Armley, Kirkstall and Pudsey Leisure Centres.

Leeds City Council, which must save more than £100m this financial year, said it would bring pricing into line with other councils.

Junior pricing will not increase and there will no longer be a requirement to commit to a 12 month contract.

A council spokesperson said it was still “exceptional” value for money compared to private gyms.

They said: “The last few years have also seen substantial investment into several of our leisure centres.

“This has brought new hi-tech equipment into our facilities as well as improved studio spaces and online classes.”

The council said it currently had more than 30,000 leisure centre memberships, the highest ever, and junior membership had increased since the Covid pandemic.

Standard membership pricing will increase from the current rate of £25.95 per month.

The spokesperson said: “Alongside this, we have removed the 12-month contract requirement which gives members a saving and greater flexibility without any long-term commitment as we appreciate the financial situation people are facing.”

The council said reduced fees were in place for people with health conditions and those claiming some benefits.

The spokesperson added: “The council continues to face significant financial challenges.

“We aim to meet those challenges while continuing to invest in our facilities to maintain an exceptional offer to our users at a time when other local authorities are making the difficult decision to close leisure centres.”

WLD has been chronicling local and national government cuts via our Cutswatch series here.

Sponsored content

West Leeds: 10 most commented sites in Leeds Local Plan so far

By

westleedslife

-

August 11, 2025

0

By John Baron

Thousands of comments have so far been posted on a citywide consultation asking people to have their say on the future of development and land use in Leeds.

Views are being sought on a planning blueprint which could see thousands of new homes built on potential sites across Leeds.

The Leeds Local Plan is a legal framework that will set out the council’s vision and strategy for sustainable growth up to 2042.

The plan guides how land will be used and developed. It influences planning decisions to ensure any developments meet the needs of the community and the environment.

A range of potential sites included in the consultation were put forward by developers, landowners, residents and others. They are not suggestions or endorsements from the council but were put forward in a ‘call for sites’ that the council must then evaluate to see whether they are suitable for development.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most commented site in West Leeds so far is Headingley Station Allotments in Kirkstall. The site has received significant press attention, including WLD.

The consultation continues until 15 September 2025.

With just over a month of the consultation remaining, here’s a list of the top ten commented sites so far in the seven wards WLD covers:

Headingley Station Allotments, Kirkstall – up to 61 homes – 896 comments (plus 2,202 names on an independent petition).
Lawns Lane, New Farnley – housing capacity up to 408 houses – 295 comments
Land to the east of the A6120, west of Bagley Lane and north of Kirklees Drive, Farsley – housing capacity up to up to 527 houses – 282 comments.
Crossfield Farm, Woodhall Road, Calverley, Pudsey – housing capacity up to 363 – 252 comments.
Crowther Avenue, Calverley – up to 12 houses – 182 comments
Land Adjacent to West End Lane and Layton Lane, Horsforth – Estimated draft housing capacity 880 – 180 comments
Land to the north of Carr Road, south of Clara Drive and west of Calverley Cutting, Calverley – estimated housing capacity 171 – 175 comments.
Land to the south of Upper Carr Lane, east of Reservoir Court, Calverley – housing capacity 26 – 123 comments.
Land to the south of Foxholes Crescent and east of Woodhall Road, Calverley – housing capacity 293 – 122 comments.
Land at Bayton Lane/Yeadon Moor Road, Horsforth – TBC – 117 comments

See all the sites in the consultation

All the inner west sites in the consultation can be found here.
All the outer west sites can be found here.
All the outer north west sites (including Horsforth) can be found here .
All the inner north west sites can be found here.

Sponsored content

“Completely out of hand”: Concerns over late night fireworks

By

westleedslife

-

August 11, 2025

6

By John Baron

A Calverley & Farsley councillor has raised concerns about the anti-social use of fireworks, which are causing widespread concern among residents late at night.

Councillor Andrew Carter (Cons, Calverley & Farsley) has called for an end to importing cheap fireworks from China – and is lobbying for more action from police.

He said the police’s reputation was “not being done any good by a lack of action”.

In a video posted on his Facebook page, Cllr Carter said: “I want to talk about the fireworks that are being let off with increasing regularity, coming from the Pudsey end of the ward, up towards Bradford, indeed into Bradford.

“Surely the way to stop access to these cheap, very dangerous fireworks is to ban the import from China – because that’s where most of them come from.

“The police seem unable to stop these occurrences, often late at night, and accompanied by cars racing around at dangerous speeds.

“It really is time for action. The police’s reputation is not being done any good by a lack of action.

“I don’t blame the police in our local police stations – it’s time the senior officers look to actually carry out their duties in what I regard to be an effective way.”

Officers from the Calverley and Farsley neighbourhood policing team last week said they were tackling the anti-social use of fireworks in the area, working alongside partner agencies to take action against repeat offenders.

Sponsored content

Armley’s Compassion Centre visited by Rachel Reeves MP

By

westleedslife

-

August 11, 2025

6

RachelReevesLCMTeaminHub — MP Rachel Reeves with some of the staff and volunteers inside the City Mission Compassion Centre

By Andy Dalton

An Armley based charity was thrilled to receive a visit from Leeds West and Pudsey MP Rachel Reeves this week.

Staff and volunteers at the Leeds City Mission (LCM) Compassion Centre in Mistress Lane welcomed Ms Reeves on a recent visit to their premises.

The LCM team had invited her to visit so that she could discover more about their work with marginalised people in West Leeds.

LCM Coordinator Andrew Dalton was able to explain how its projects were helping local people in need and those struggling with life.

These included their Pantry Project foodbank and how it is meeting the rising demand from hungry families; their shower facility for rough sleepers; its charity shop providing a range of items to enable low-income residents stretch their limited budgets; work experience for people seeking to reconnect with mainstream living after experiencing difficulties in life; clothing and household items grants for destitute individuals.

Ms Reeves also heard about other projects organised by the City Mission.

MP Rachel Reeves with some of the staff and volunteers outside the City Mission Compassion Centre.

She was introduced to a staff member who has spent the last two decades in prison.

Claire Newton works as the LCM prison chaplain in HMP Leeds and Wetherby Young Offenders Institute. Ms Newton was able to relate to her some of the pressing issues faced by inmates serving sentences and the importance of support for people after release.

Staff were able to share the significance of their Christmas Kids Present Project. This annual event ensures that scores of children from deprived backgrounds wake up on Christmas morning with a guaranteed present to celebrate the season.

Ms Reeves had a brief tour of the Compassion Centre premises where she was shown the painted mural on the side wall of the Compassion Centre. On a background of painted trees are a list of key words taken directly from the Bible such as love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, goodness.

Mr Dalton explained that these reflected the values and purpose of all the projects undertaken by Leeds City Mission.

The inspiration for all their work was inspired by their personal Christian faith and they expressed this in word and deed in many ways.

The mural had been painted by a volunteer enabling the 100-year-old red brick building to gracefully blend with the surrounding grassed area, vegetation and trees.

Ms Reeves commended the work of the City Mission and its volunteers. She said: “It was wonderful to meet with the Leeds City Mission team in Armley and hear about the fantastic work they do supporting people in need across the city. A huge thank you to Andrew and all the volunteers for their warm welcome and for everything they do in our communities.”

Chairman of the Management Committee Paul Crossley said that Leeds City Mission were grateful to Ms Reeves for her visit.

He said that her dual role as constituency MP and Chancellor of the Exchequer meant that she carried an enormous amount of responsibility and had an incredible amount of pressure on her time. Nevertheless, she had found a window in her busy schedule to visit their Compassion Centre and encourage staff and volunteers in their vital work. This had been very much appreciated.

MP Rachel Reeves being presented with a bunch of flowers by Michelle Pawson – one of the LCM staff.

She was presented with a book “The Houses of Parliament – Cradle of Democracy” as a memento of her visit. LCM staff thought that the richly illustrated book would be of great interest as it provides the history and background to the palace of Westminster where she spends so much of her time.

Leeds City Mission is one of the oldest charities in the city and has been in continuous existence since 1837. Its Compassion Centre is opposite Armley Library. It is a multi-church agency and seeks to meet the physical, social and spiritual needs of Leeds residents.

Sponsored content

Gesture exhibition comes to Swinnow Grange Mills

By

westleedslife

-

August 11, 2025

0

What does it mean to take up space — to leave a trace, to reach outward, to say: I’m here
and this matters?

Gesture is the first exhibition from the Resilient Artist Cohort, an artist-led development
programme from Aire Place Studios that centres radical care, collective agency and creative
risk.

This isn’t about perfection or polish. It’s about process, autonomy and power — shifting who gets to speak, who gets seen, and who shapes the future of culture in Leeds.

Over the course of 12 months, the cohort is engaging in mentoring, peer learning,
hands-on curatorial work and critical dialogue.

Together, they’re co-creating a different model for artist development, one that’s not about competition or careerism, but about support, self-determination and doing things differently.

Gesture exhibition features new work by six dynamic Leeds-based artists.

Through ongoing dialogue and collaboration, the artists began to notice shared themes
emerging, across mediums and methods, ideas surfaced around the body, mark-making,
memory, and gesture as both signal and action.

The result is a show that doesn’t just display work, but holds space for experimentation, intention and collective thinking.

“Being part of the cohort has given me a new perspective on my practice,” says Jamie. “I
usually begin with abstract sketches before painting or drawing figures. This process helped
me realise those early marks aren’t just planning they’re part of the voice.”

“I’m always curious about how other artists think and work,” adds Christina. “Collaborating like this has been incredibly insightful. It’s opened up new conversations and shifted how I see my own work.”

There is no single curatorial theme, no fixed narrative. Instead, Gesture invites you into an
evolving conversation.

It’s a space where artists are curating on their own terms, where intention meets risk, and where the work is allowed to breathe. Rather than a traditional group show, this is a live experiment — a powerful moment of visibility, authorship, and shared momentum.

The final exhibition in March 2026 will build on the groundwork laid here, showcasing new
work shaped by deeper mentoring and collaboration with curators.

By then, the cohort will have co-curated two public exhibitions, developed leadership experience, and cultivated the skills to shape their practices, and their audiences, with clarity, confidence and care.

The Resilient Artist Cohort was born from the urgent demands Aire Place Studios heard through Let Us See You and The People’s Gallery that artists need time, trust, and agency.

“It’s not just about the art,” says APS Director Sarah Francis. “It’s about who gets to shape the system. With this cohort, we’re not waiting for the door to open, we’re building something better, from the ground up.”

Gesture is an invitation into that space. A space for listening, questioning, risk-taking and
connection. A space to witness artists in motion, and to join a growing movement rooted in
care, resistance and radical imagination.

Exhibition Details

Title: GESTURE
Dates: 15 August – 5 September 2025
Location: The Mill Gallery, Unit 5 Cardinal House, Swinnow Grange Mills, Leeds, LS13 4EP
Opening Event: Friday 15 August from 6.30pm. All are welcome.

Sponsored content

Awards to recognise people at Heart of Horsforth

By

westleedslife

-

August 10, 2025

0

By John Baron

There are three weeks to go to submit your nominations for The Heart of Horsforth Award Scheme.

Horsforth Town Council’s scheme recognises the hard work and successes of local people in making a difference in the town.

They could be an amazing athlete, a creative artist or an excellent student. They may be an outstanding fundraiser, an inspirational carer or a volunteer going the extra mile.

“We want to know about anyone or any group who stands out and has made a difference within their community,” said a town council spokesperson

“Whatever their story Horsforth Town Council would like to hear from you. This is a great opportunity to acknowledge and highlight the achievements of Horsforth residents.”

There are five awards in total:

Volunteering award, under 21s
Volunteering award, over 21s
Business award
Community award
Environmental award

The deadline for nominations is 12pm Monday 1 September. The awards will be presented at the Christmas lights switch-on event on Saturday 6 December 2025.

For more information please see the attached poster or visit the town council website.

Sponsored content

People’s Gallery comes to Swinnow Grange Mills

By

westleedslife

-

August 10, 2025

0

Aire Place Studios (APS) is to launch The People’s Gallery, a bold new strand of creative programme made possible with support from the People’s Postcode Lottery.

Hosted at The Mill Gallery in LS13, the initiative will build spaces for creativity, care and collective authorship shaped by the people who live, make and resist here.

The People’s Gallery sits alongside the main gallery programme and aims to shake up how art happens in Leeds, placing community voice, radical care and creative action firmly at its heart.

“We’re not just inviting people into a gallery — we’re co-building a space where creativity is a right, not a privilege,” says APS Director, Sarah Francis.

“The People’s Gallery is a site of radical joy, protest, paper, paint, and pride. This is where zines are sacred, banners are brave, and community stories take centre stage.

“It’s not just about being seen it’s about being heard, held, and honoured.

“These values are at the core of everything we do, and The People’s Gallery takes them even further with co-authored curatorial approaches, embedded community-led storytelling, and radical care guiding the entire process. “

If successful, the project will become a permanent part of APS and a new blueprint for
access-driven, artist-led, community-rooted curation in Leeds.

It launches on Friday 15 August with Protest & Pride – The Art of Protest, a powerful new
exhibition and workshop series that celebrates LGBTQIA+ creativity, protest and radical joy.
This space brings together artists who speak up, resist and connect through political
movements, personal defiance, righteous anger and joyful rebellion.

Running alongside the exhibition is Art of Protest: Creative Solidarity with the Trans
Community, a hands-on workshop programme featuring protest banner-making, artist-led
sessions, and drop-in support for LGBTQIA+ artists.

From zine-making workshops and zine libraries to local photography walks and
art activities for all ages, it’s about meeting people where they are, whether that’s through a zine shelf in a community centre, a protest workshop in Bramley, or a storytelling drop-in in Stanningley.

A spokesperson added: “We’re embedding mentoring, peer support and co-creation into the heart of the programme, not as extras, but as foundations. This is a grassroots, trust-building project rooted in LS13 and stretching into its surrounding communities, fuelled by lived experience and collective creativity.”

Aire Place Studios is calling on local groups, collectives and creatives to bring their ideas, stories and visions to life within this space.

Whether you want to lead a workshop, exhibit your work, build a banner, or simply show up and create, The People’s Gallery is open to you.

Attend the opening on Friday, 15 August from 6.30pm, where visitors can explore the
exhibition, enjoy great conversations, and purchase refreshments in a relaxed and
welcoming setting. Entry is free, but book ahead using this link.

Exhibition Details

Title: Protest & Pride – Art as Resistance Exhibition
Dates: 15 August – 5 September 2025
Location: The Mill Gallery, Unit 5 Cardinal House, Swinnow Grange Mills, Leeds, LS13 4EP

Opening Event: Friday 15th August from 6.30pm.