Bramley Community Clothing Exchange volunteers are looking forward to the next event. Photo: Vickie Jamieson
Words: Vickie Jamieson
Bramley Community Clothing Exchange is taking place next Saturday, 19 February, from 11am to 1pm at Bramley Community Centre.
It’s only £3 entry, with children getting in for free. Bring clothes you don’t wear and exchange for some you will. Save your purse and the planet at the same time.
We’re raising money for Leeds Baby Bank – so all proceeds will go to them. Leeds Baby Bank is a voluntary run charity based in Leeds taking referrals for hygiene essentials and equipment for 0-5s and expectant mothers in need.
The bank aims to partner with the local community through pre-loved essentials being donated from one family to another.
Bramley Community Clothing Exchange is helping to save the planet.
This way they share the same ethos for sustainability as the clothing exchange and play their own part in reducing landfill and encouraging sustainable living.
The bank saw referrals double from 500 to 1,000 in 2021 alone, with a large reduction in income from charitable trusts over the same period so additional funding is vital. At the moment they are in particular need of toddler beds and prams for new borns. So we’ll be collecting these too if you have any you can spare.
Leeds Inner West School Uniform Exchange will also be joining, so come along to pick up or drop off school uniform and gym supplies (no entry fee for using the uniform exchange only).
There will be the usual tea, coffee, buns & biscuits on offer so feel free to stay for a cuppa and a chat.
Venue: Bramley Community Centre
Volunteers included a book swap at the last event which was very popular, so there will be a book swap stall again this month.
Attendees can bring books you’re finished with and would like to exchange for books or clothing.
Work is under way at the Stonebridge Mills site in Farnley. Photo: John Baron/westleedsdispatch.com
Words & photos: John Baron
These are the first photographs of building work on a new £25 million housing development at historic Stonebridge Mills in Farnley.
Stonebridge Mills played a key role in the development of Farnley and Wortley, dating back to the early 1800s when the water-powered woollen mill was a focal point of the local community.
Work on the first phase of the development should be completed later this year.
Despite being in some form of industrial use for around 150 years, the site has been derelict for many years, with the mill buildings, some of which are Grade II Listed, falling into disrepair.
The old mill cottagesbehiond the mill pond are being converted into homes at Stonebridge Beck.
Work started 18 months ago on a £25 million housing project to regenerate the site, with a development called Stonebridge Beck.
It includes 82 new homes as well as the regeneration of the grade II listed and long-derelict former woollen mill buildings and cottages, which is creating a further 30 homes.
New homes being built in the former mill building. New steel beams have been installed to make the building secure.
Tim Reeve, MD at co-developers Advent Developments, told WLD that the existing buildings had needed extensive restoration works to make them stable, with the main mill buildings essentially gutted inside, with the structure reinforced by huge steel girders, which will be hidden from view when the development is completed.
A new roof is also being built, albeit using existing recycled tiles.
“Sadly there had been significant deterioration. The roof and windows leaked, the wooden insides had become rotten,” Mr Reeve said.
“When we’ve finished it, it will look like it did when it first opened in the 19th century, but inside it will have all the benefits of a modern, energy efficient and high performance new build inside a historic building.
“Even the windows will look the same, but be high-spec double glazed and energy efficient.”
Under construction: One of the loft bedrooms in the former mill building.One of the planned bedrooms in the old mill.The large windows are modern, but will convey 19th century style.
Mr Reeve said preserving the heritage of the site was particularly important, and pointed to the preservation of the historic mill pond as an important feature.
A view of the mill pond and former mill cottages from the main mill building.
Advent is building the development alongside Rushbond PLC and Caddick Construction.
Busy site: Work is ongoing to restore the main mill building.Two historic towers on the site are being retained by developers.Looking up the extensive nine-acre site in Farnley.
Stonebridge Beck will feature a collection of converted and new build homes will be available ranging from two to five bedrooms, all offering high-quality accommodation with private gardens and parking.
The new houses near the mills use traditional materials to reflect the setting of the historic buildings.Inside one of the new show homes.Inside one of the new show homes.
WLD reported last month that the new showroom had opened at the development. Last week WLD featured plans for a new public sculpture capturing the past and future of the site with an artwork called Embrace.
The high-profile semi-rural site, off Stonebridge Lane and the Ring Road, was once the subject of plans by supermarket giants Tesco for a new store.
Some of the fly tipping took place in the Pudsey area.
This is the moment a van used by a flytipper from Armley was crushed after being impounded by officials.
Its owner, Martin Hughes of Armley Town Street, pleaded guilty to offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Leeds Crown Court and was sentenced on Monday.
Hughes was sentenced to a 15-month custodial sentence after pleading guilty to six counts of fly-tipping and one duty of care offence at Leeds Crown Court.
His conviction followed a complex investigation undertaken by Leeds City Council environmental enforcement officers, gathering evidence from several fly tips for which they were able to prove a link to Hughes.
The investigation found Hughes had been operating a commercial waste removal business without the appropriate licenses and disposing of commercial and household waste illegally across Leeds throughout 2018 and 2019.
CCTV footage of the fly tipping.
Evidence linked him to multiple incidents of fly tipping in the Pudsey area, and council officers strategically deployed CCTV cameras at the fly tip hotspot to detect further offences.
The CCTV camera recorded waste being dumped from the Mr Hughes’ van on a further two occasions at the same location. Further evidence was also found linking Mr Hughes to other incidents of fly tipping.
Following the Hughes’ van being spotted by council officers in September 2019, the vehicle was seized, a search of the vehicle found it to be full of household waste including sofas, wood, and garden waste. As the impounded van had little recoverable value and Hughes did not come forward to claim it, the van was crushed and scrapped.
The impounded van owned by Hughes was crushed.
Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for environment and housing, said:
“Fly tipping is recognised as a national issue. However, Leeds City Council has a very clear message: we will not tolerate fly tipping in Leeds and will continue to prosecute anyone who believes that they can flout the rules and blight our communities and environment.
“It is pleasing to see the courts using their custodial sentencing power to show that fly tipping is not worth the price.
“We have recently announced the establishment of a new Serious Environment Crime Team, which will allow the council to dedicate even more time investigating and tracking down those waste collection companies and individuals who are illegally operating and creating many of the fly tips that occur in Leeds.”
To help residents legally dispose of their waste Leeds City Council recently announced a raft of new proposals including the development of a scheme to make it easier for residents to find clearance companies with the required licenses to dispose waste legally and the increasing of opening hours at weekends for trade/commercial waste disposal at Leeds City Council waste sites. For more information, visit this website.
Councillors in ‘outer’ West Leeds are being asked to allocate funding for local projects at a meeting next week.
Members of the Outer West Community Committee – made up of councillors from the Calverley & Farsley, Pudsey and Farnley & Wortley wards – will decide which projects they would like to fund out of their wellbeing and youth funding pots, as well as ring-fence funding for the next financial year.
They’re meeting at Leeds Civic Hall next Wednesday at 2pm – and will also discuss issues with anti-social behaviour in the area.
Projects to be considered for funding this financial year include:
Parking Buddies Signs £3,292.50
The signs encourage drivers to slow down, keep the area clear, and not idle their engines near school property.
Additional Money Buddies sessions at Swinnow Community Centre £1,239
To provide an additional five Money Buddies finance and debt sessions based at Swinnow Community Centre in Pudsey.
Projects to be considered for funding out of the next financial year include:
Calverley in Bloom £5,757.99
The project will provide hanging baskets to enhance the village centre. The display will be maintained and watered by Parks & Countryside.
Farsley in Bloom £3,049.60
The scheme will provide floral features to enhance the village centre including hanging baskets on lamp posts and floral troughs on the roadside. The display will be maintained and watered by Parks & Countryside
New Farnley in Bloom £1,000
To buy £1,000 of plants from the Parks and Countryside Nursery in order to continue New Farnley in Bloom’s seasonal planting.
Pudsey in Bloom – £5,151.79
The scheme will provide floral features to enhance the village centre including hanging pots, barrier troughs and long hay racks. The displays will be maintained and watered by Parks & Countryside.
Additional gardener resource – £14,114
The member of staff will be working 41 hours per week, for six months of the year, in Tyersal and New Farnley. The duties they will be undertaking will include grass cutting, pruning, de-littering, emptying of litter bins, removing fly tipping, marking out sports pitches, inspection of play equipment, maintenance of park infrastructure, planting and sweeping paths.
Pudsey Park weekend litter picking £1,183.30
Rock Up To Do A Mock Up – Building Futures Together £12,000
Based in a live business setting the sessions introduce young people to the industry by taking part in various exercises including plumbing, electrical and fabrication activities.
Outdoor and Active in Pudsey & Calverley by TCV £4,374.36
TCV will be running environmental activity tasters in conjunction with the social prescribing sessions and support provided by Robin Lane and Hill Foot surgeries. Sessions in Calverley will be based from the Methodist Church targeted at men, encouraging them to come together, talk and reduce social isolation. Other sessions will enable Pudsey Wellbeing Centre to relaunch its gardening group.
Pudsey Youth Café at Pudsey Wellbeing Centre £2,560
he weekly sessions include a meal, group activities, and a number of workshops throughout the year. The aim is to create an active, safe space for young people.
6th Wortley Brownies £1,050
The pack will be taking 25 girls aged 7 – 13 away for a weekend of adventurous activities at Winmarleigh Hall. Money is for coach hire.
6th Wortley Guides £1,200
6th Wortley Guide Unit was 70 years old in 2020 and had originally planned the trip – to Dorset and Brownsea Island, the home of camping for scouting and guiding – as a celebration but Covid put plans on hold until 2022. Up to 24 Guides and Rangers (aged 10 to 17) will attend.
Farnley Youth Club £3,000
To continue running the successful Friday evening youth provisions which is enjoyed by more than 35 young people per week.
Farnley Football Project £1,000
The aim is to provide a positive, healthy outdoor activity open to all young people aged 11 – 17 years of age.
Mini Summer Sports programme £720
Sport sessions for young people at Hainsworth Park, Calverley Park, Swinnow Moor and Farnley Rec.
Summer Holiday Targeted Provision £1,500
To enable some of the most hard to reach and vulnerable young people to access positive activities including canoeing, trip to the Dales and outdoor challenge activities.
Projects ring-fenced for funding next financial year include:
Calverley Xmas Lights £2,704
Farsley Xmas Lights £7,899
Pudsey Xmas Lights £9,816
Rodley Xmas Lights £1,494
Pudsey Carnival £2,600
DAZL Outer West Programme £3,427
Andy’s Youth Project £2,400
Farsley Festival £4,350
Outer West Activity Programme – three mini Breeze events £10,948.50
The Outer West Community Committee is made up of nine councillors – three from each ward. They consist of five Conservative councillors, three Green and one Labour.
Young people aged eight to 17 years in outer West Leeds are being encouraged to have their say on what youth activities they would like to see funded by local councillors.
The results will directly inform members of the council’s the Outer West Community Committee and help them make the best funding decisions for young people living in Calverley & Farsley, Pudsey and Farnley & Wortley wards.
The survey is online, and takes less than five minutes to complete, and is planned to be open until the end of March.
Climate Action Leedsis an ambitious five-year programme funded by The National Lottery Climate Action Fund.
It provides a platform for people, organisations and communities to come together to take action on climate change, and the collective purpose is to help shape a Leeds which is zero carbon, nature friendly and socially just by the 2030s.
As part of the project community hubs are being set up around Leeds, with the support of Climate Action Leeds partner Together for Peace.
Armley has been chosen as one of the areas for a community hub, and residents are beginning to come together to start having conversations about climate change and how it intersects with local issues such as keeping warm, eating well and managing waste.
Over the spring, Together for Peace will be supporting residents across Armley and New Wortley to form a local climate action group and start planning projects and design the Armley community hub together.
People Powered Homes, who are part of the Climate Action Leeds team, are the sector partner for housing and will be working with the community hubs to help local communities learn more about making their homes more energy efficient and lowering their energy bills.
People Powered Homes and Together for Peace are jointly hosting a Climate Tea Trolley at New Wortley Community Centre on Friday 18th February 1-2pm around the theme of Keeping Warm.
Come along for free tea and cake and share and gather top tips on keeping warm.Climate Tea Trolley events are being held across Armley and New Wortley around different themes.
As part of their work, People Powered Homes and Together for Peace are also promoting the Better Homes scheme providing free insulation and solar panels for low income households.
If you are interested in the scheme, there is still time to apply!
The Leeds City Council Better Homes Yorkshire Grant scheme is open for applications until 31 March 2022.
If you are a homeowner with a household income of under £30,000pa and your house has an Energy Performance (EPC) of D or below you may be eligible for a grant. Don’t worry if you do not know the energy rating of your property, you can still apply, and the Better Homes team can carry out an energy survey for you.
Tenants in private rented properties are also encouraged to apply. Although the landlord has to pay a contribution toward the cost of installation, it is a great opportunity for landlords to install energy saving measures that will add value to their property and make the running costs more affordable for tenants.
You can apply via the Better Homes Yorkshire Website www.betterhomesyorkshire.co.uk/leeds. Or call them free from a UK landline on 0800 597 1500.
Former Olympian Nile Wilson, from Pudsey, with some young gymnasts
Former Olympic gymnast Nile Wilson is encourage people at all levels to take part in the sport with the opening of a new gymnastics club in Bramley.
The Nile Wilson Gymnastics Club, in Elmfield Way, off Stanningley Road, will be one of a network of gymnastics clubs around the UK that aim to ‘change the game’ by delivering unique and more engaging activities balanced against the requirements of gymnastics programmes.
The clubs are suitable for all ages, offering pre-school programmes and recreational gymnastics for 4-16 year olds, through to adult gymnastics.
Due to open on 2t February, the Leeds venue offers 11,000 square feet facility with state-of-the-art equipment for all gymnasts, including climbing walls and slides.
It also features viewing areas with cafeteria facilities, as well as changing and toilet facilities. It will create between 15 and 20 jobs and joins the business’ inaugural 12,000 square feet facility in Dinnington, Rotherham, which opened in summer 2019.
Grace Allison, of Leeds law firm Clarion’s real estate team, advised Nile Wilson Gymnastics on securing the seven-year lease at Elmfield Way.
Having been a gymnast from the age of five years old at Leeds Gymnastics Club, Pudsey lad Nile was crowned British Junior Champion in March 2014 and the same year he became the first British gymnast ever to win five gold medals at the European Junior Gymnastics Championships.
In 2016, Nile competed in the Rio Olympics where he won a bronze medal in the High Bar final, again a first for GB in gymnastics. In 2017, Nile was placed sixth in the All-Round World final and in 2018 he won five medals at the Commonwealth Games, three Gold and two Silver, to take his Commonwealth medal total to nine.
Nile Wilson Gymnastics director Luke Sutton said:
“It’s great news that we’ve not only been able to save an established gymnastics facility from closure, but also that we will be offering a huge range of exciting programmes for all members of the family. The aim is to create a modern and welcoming club which can provide opportunities for gymnasts from around the Leeds.”
Police are appealing for information to help trace an Armley woman who is wanted in relation to a number of thefts from shops.
Appeal: Donna Abbott.
Donna Abbott, aged 28, is a suspect in relation in relation to five incidents and is also wanted on court warrants.
Officers have been carrying out extensive enquiries to trace her but have so far been unable find her. She is believed to be in the Armley area.
Anyone who has seen her or who has any information can contact Leeds District Integrated Offender Management Team via 101 quoting reference 13210647457 or online via www.westyorkshire.police.uk/101livechat. Information can be given anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
New Wortley Community Association has gained a slice of a £262k citywide kitty to help empower local people to improve their community.
The association, based at New Wortley Community Centre, is one of five new ‘pathfinder’ sites across the city receiving grants and has been awarded £37,500 to work with the New Wortley and Armley community, with an option to extend for a year for an extra £25,000.
The project is based around what’s called ‘asset-based community development‘ (ABCD) and is an approach to sustainable community-driven development, supporting local people to make the changes they want to see in their neighbourhood. It’s developed on the premise that everyone has assets and strengths to contribute to their community.
Pathfinder sites work within their local community to uncover and develop existing strengths and assets of individuals and groups, helping to build social connections and fostering citizen led action.
In 2021 Leeds Beckett University published the findings of an 18-month research study into the ABCD model in Leeds. The evaluation found evidence that individuals were better connected, friendships were made, and supportive relationships were formed during this period across ABCD sites.
Cllr Fiona Venner (Kirkstall), executive member for adults and children social care and health partnerships, said:
“ABCD has been pioneered in Leeds and has been a real success story of how the council has supported communities to create the change they want to see. It is fantastic that we can roll out the programme to a further diverse selection of communities across the city.
“I look forward to seeing the impact that these new ABCD pathfinder grants will have on empowering communities.”
The successful third sector organisations awarded the ABCD community grants are Halton Moor and Osmondthorpe Project for Elders (HOPE), InterACT, Slung Low, New Wortley Community Association and Give a Gift.
The number of people who are claiming Universal Credit due to unemployment has soared by 80%, councillors will hear next week.
A report to members of the Outer West Community Committee – which covers Farnley & Wortley, Pudsey and Calverley & Farsley wards – shows that the number of claimants in November 2021 was 3,212. The report added:
“This is an increase of 80% since March 2020, which is reflective across all wards due to the impact of Covid-19. There is a small decrease of 30 on the previous month.
“The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough) ceased at the end of September 2021, and there was an expectation that a number of people would have been made redundant which would have subsequently increased claimants to Universal Credit, which has not come to fruition in the latest release.”
The report also points to an increase in people using the council’s employment and skills service. During April – December 2021 649 people living in the Outer West, an increase of 9% when compared to the same period last year.
Members will discuss the figures at next Wednesday’s Outer West Community Committee meeting at Leeds Civic Hall. The agenda and reports can be read in full here.
Campaigners fighting to stop housing being built on the TV Harrison Sports Ground have outlined their future vision for the ground.
As reported by WLD last month, a High Court judge in London ruled Leeds Council’s refusal to list the field as an ‘asset of community value’ was unlawful. The council are now re-evaluating the campaign’s application.
Leeds City Council already has outline planning permission to build up to 60 local authority houses on the site – but that hasn’t stopped campaigners planning the next steps of their fight to restore the pitch to its former glory.
Chairman Michael Meadowcroft said the TV Harrison CIC has a business plan to transform the whole site and build a new sports pavilion and community facility for Wortley at the same time.
Ideas for the site also include netball courts, five-a-side pitches and a nature area for school children on the far side. He said the campaigners were willing to raise money to buy the site.
In the video former Leeds West MP Mr Meadowcroft outlines the campaigners’ hopes for the future of the ground:
Michael Meadowcroft speaks on the latest developments at the Oldfield Lane site.
The pitch was disused for about 15 years after the facilities – which were once used by the prestigious Leeds City Boys teams and nicknamed ‘Wortley’s Wembley’ – fell into disrepair.
Members of the TV Harrison Community Action Group have, over the past two years, cut the grass and restored the once-overgrown pitch to allow community matches to take place. They argue the land was originally gifted to the children of Leeds in the form of a trust deed.
Leeds City Council argue that there is a growing need for quality family homes in the area.
