Can you help out with gardening? Maybe light building work? Perhaps painting and decorating? There’s always community arts and crafts! All of it at Calverley Old Hall, writes Anne Akers
The Landmark Trust, which owns the Grade 1 listed building, is looking for volunteers to help with any of the above and more. Volunteers will receive training and all the necessary equipment, as well as lunch. You will work alongside Landmark Trust staff and relevant experts.
The building, which fronts Woodhall Road, has existed in some form since the late 12th century, reaching the height of its status and form by the mid 17th century. It includes a two-storey, largely 14th century Solar Block, a late 15th century Great Hall and Chapel, an early 16th century Parlour Block and a 17th century Lodging Block.
Photo: Anne Akers
Part of the building is used for short breaks, but the rest of it has fallen into disrepair and has been on the Heritage at Risk Register since 1966. The Landmark Trust has commissioned architects to revive the hall, they hope to start work this year, subject to funding.
Calverley Old Hall also has a murderous past, read about it here in Mark’s History.
The site of the community-led housing development in Mistress Lane
Armley residents can drop in and have their say on proposals for 32 new communtiy-led homes at a consultation event. Leeds Community Homes’ Lucy Meredith has the details…
We would also like to develop the greenspace around the site to benefit all the neighbours too.
We’d like to hear from people living locally, people who travel through the site and overlook it, so you can have a space that you love.
We’re holding an event to get to know the locals. There will be free refreshments activities for kids and a chance to have your say about the greenspace.
The event runs on the flat area outside Westerly Rise in Mistress Lane on Saturday 1 February, from 10.30am to 2pm.
If the weather’s wet we’ll be in the foyer. You can also tell us what you think with this online survey.
About the homes
These homes will be super insulated to reduce fuel bills and help with the climate emergency.
We’re using an innovative building technique which means the community can help to build them!
Some of the homes will be available to people on the council housing list, some could be rented directly through Leeds Community Homes and some could be bought through a part-ownership scheme.
Priority will be for people already living in Armley. The build is likely to start January 2021 and people could be moving in around January 2022.
If you’re interested in buying one of the part ownership homes, or you’d like to try out your skills with the community build element, then come along for a chat and a cuppa or e-mail info@leedscommunityhomes.org.uk.
School budgets are tight, so finding funds to support educational visits can be tricky … but staff and pupils of Lawns Park Primary School recently came up with a healthy and innovative way to raise funds, writes Jo Fiddes.
Children from Year 1 and 2 held a sponsored dance event, with the proceeds going towards funding their forthcoming trip to Temple Newsam.
Year 1 teacher, Zak Sandford, led the session, which lasted an hour and a half. Alongside dancing to some classic dance floor tunes, the children also created their own routines.
Rebecca Ford, headteacher at Lawns Park, said:
“The children fully embraced this challenge! Even though they were exhausted by the end of the Danceathon, they persevered, showed pride and resilience, and completed the challenge with great success.
“Parents that choose to join us were enthusiastic and encouraging as well as joining in incredibly well! Staff have been overwhelmed with the generosity of supporters.”
When all the money was collected, staff discovered that they had raised sufficient funds to pay for the Temple Newsam trip, with enough left over to put towards another visit later in the year.
More detail has emerged on early plans to replace Leeds Bradford Airport’s existing terminal with a brand new £150m facility on a nearby site.
Previous plans to revamp the airport’s capacity, approved by Leeds City Council in early 2019, had included blueprints to extend its existing terminal.
But an announcement was made earlier this month that updated plans would instead see the terminal move but remain within the airport’s boundary.
According to “pre-application” plans, set to be discussed by councillors this week, the new terminal would include three main floors and improved vehicle access. It was also confirmed that the new site would be closer to a proposed parkway rail station, announced by Leeds City Council last year.
The details emerge ahead of a public meeting to be held by campaigners opposing the expansion of the airport in Leeds.
They’re holding a public meeting on Tuesday 21st January, from 7pm – 9pm at Kirkstall Valley Development Trust, Unit 11, Kirkstall Bridge Retail Park, off Bridge Road. They are encouraging West Leeds residents to attend.
It is hoped that work would be able to start on construction of the site by the end of this year, and for the new terminal to be up and running by 2023.
The new scheme follows concerns that existing plans would not fit with Leeds City Council’s recent climate emergency declaration.
The lower ground floor would “provide surface access to the forecourt and access to the main terminal by lifts and escalators”, while the ground floor ‘will provide the check in hall and the arrivals halls along with baggage reclaim, customs and baggage make up’.
A first floor mezzanine would house ‘immigration and associated facilities linked to the walkway’, while the second floor would include a central search and departure lounge, retail, food and drink, duty free and premium lounges.
A western walkway would sit alongside the new terminal building and provide contact stands for around 12 aircraft.
It is also hoped the new terminal building would be targeted as an ‘excellent’ rating under environmental sustainability standards, and be designed to maximise energy efficiency and ‘incorporate energy generation on site’.
The report adds the proposal will also involve a new and modified vehicular, pedestrian and cycle access from Whitehouse Lane. The site of the existing car park would be used provide new internal service roads, bus parking and pick up and drop off points.
The existing terminal building’s offices, air traffic control and fire station will continue to be in use with the existing Jet2 offices also remaining in place.
A report on the new scheme by Leeds City Council officers stated:
“The existing passenger terminal has been subject to piecemeal development for several decades and has not kept pace with customer requirements and expectations of a modern airport.
“The present terminal suffers from congestion, space is constrained and there are insufficient security lanes both for outbound and inbound passengers. In addition, the terminal is poorly designed for segregating arriving and departing passengers.”
The airport’s CEO Hywel Rees said earlier this month that the proposed site would be closer to the so-called Leeds Bradford Airport parkway rail station, announced by Leeds City Council last year.
The pre-application will be discussed by members of Leeds City Council’s city plans panel on Thursday, January 30.
As the plans are only at a “pre-application” stage, a full planning application is yet to be submitted, and no decision will be made on the scheme.
A more detailed application is expected in the coming months.
A campaign group fighting to stop the former TV Harrison sports ground in Oldfield Lane, Wortley, from being turned into housing have challenged Leeds City Council over some ofthe figures on which it is basing its decisions.Here is the group’s open letter sent to the council and senior councillors from all parties.
To Leeds City Council Executives and elected members,
We have considered your responses to the TV Harrison Community Action Group TVHCAG around the preservation of the historic playing field in Oldfield Lane Leeds 12, known as the TV Harrison Ground, which is held in Trust for the children of Leeds by the Leeds School Sports Association.
Aside from other actions which the TVHCAG are taking at this moment in time we have found a major discrepancy or error within your Green Space Paper.
In this document you have allocated to Wortley and Farnley Ward Outdoor Sports provision and come to this conclusion; that the Ward has 0.03 “surplus” Outdoor Sports provision.
In this document you have allocated to Wortley and Farnley Ward Outdoor Sports provision and come to this conclusion; that the Ward has 0.03 “surplus” Outdoor Sports provision.
However the document contains the following error. You have stated that (New) Wortley Recreation Ground (filming location for some of The Beiderbecke Affair) comprises some 12.36 hectares of Outdoor Sports Provision.
Upon this the Council has based its rationale for the loss of the historic playing field on Oldfield Lane.
However is it clear that Wortley Recreation Ground does not contain 12.36 hectares of land. (30 acres). The Outdoor Sports provision to the south of the park is approximately 4 hectares in size with additional green space around it which might be another hectare. (Five hectares is equal to 12.35 acres).
It would appear that the Recreation Ground Sports ground was measured in acres and then the Council have omitted to change the measurements into hectares.
It would therefore appear that Farnley and Wortley Ward is deficient in Outdoor Sports Provision by several hectares perhaps something in the region of 4 – 7 hectares.
According to the data on the Leeds Obsevatory, Farnley and Wortley Ward is an area with significant problems. Educational attainment is well under the Leeds and National Average, a higher crime rate is evident, more than is average for Leeds. There are significantly high rates of persistent school absence, an ASBO rate above the Leeds average and more young people out of education, employment or training than the Leeds average.
The information for Armley is even more challenging. In Armley Ward there is a stated deficiency in Outdoor Sport provision and the Leeds Observatory reveals that the crime rate is in the 1st Decile, the crime rate being the fourth highest across all the wards in Leeds.
Outcomes for children in education are critically below Leeds and National averages with only 25% of Key Stage 4 pupils attaining Maths and English at GCSE.
The population statistics for Armley are important in this matter, because the playing field on Oldfield Lane is in the catchment area for Armley and Farnley and Wortley wards. (Sport England 2012) being on the border between the two wards and accessible to both communities.
The Leeds Council are failing to meet the criteria in Policy G3 of the Core Strategy because of a serious error in their 2017 Green Space Paper linked in the text above.
Please address this immediately so that the error can be corrected for Armley and Wortley communities so that your policies are enacted correctly.
It is apparent that the playing field on Oldfield Lane must be retained as Sports Provision for this area.
Clare O’Keefe and the TV Harrison Community Action Group and friends
Planting: Burley Park. Copyright Betty Longbottom and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
A public consultation is giving people the chance to help shape the future of Burley Park.
Leeds City Council and the Friends of Burley Park group are looking to make improvements to the park and its facilities.
They would like to hear views on how people use the park, what issues you come across as a park user and what improvements you would like to see at the park.
The final question of the survey is open for suggestions, and if you have other ideas for improvements, activities that could be organised in the park, or anything else, please enter it at the end of the survey.
If you would like to stay up to date with the activities of Friends of Burley Park, give them a ‘like’ on Facebook (search for @burleyparkfriends).
I wonder if at the age of 15 James Bedford had any idea the company he was dreaming of creating would last nearly 200 years? writes Mark Stevenson.
It was 1815 and James was doing an apprenticeship at a Chymist (the old way of spelling Chemist) and Druggist on Briggate in town.
Photo: Google
By the 1820s he had the company he had been dreaming of. When he died in 1842 his son also named James Bedford took over the running of the company.
James entered into a partnership with Edward Wood and the company went from strength to strength. They expanded to new premises, the Airedale Chemical Works in Kirkstall.
Photo: Google
The company was to become a world leader in the chemical manufacturer of dyes having two sites in Leeds, one in Hunslet the other on Kirkstall Road.
By around 2008 both sites had gone and with building work, due to start on the Kirkstall site the last traces of Yorkshire Chemicals PLC in West Leeds could be gone forever.
James Bedford’s house still stands in the grounds of the university.
One of the leading lights behind Bramley parkun has celebrated a major volunteering milestone.
Jean Hollings – known in some circles as ‘Mrs Bramley parkrun’ – yesterday completed her 50th parkrun and also volunteered for the 250th time at the Saturday morning event in Bramley Park.
A cake marking Jean’s 250th volunteeing stint.
Cakes were provided by regular volunteer and master baker Gareth Semmence.
A total of 25 volunteers took part in Bramley parkrun.
202 athletes ran and jogged walked across the finish line.
37 people joined us for their first time. We had inspirational 15 people who completed their first ever parkrun and nine people returned for their second parkrun.
Visitors from Keighley, London and Oldham joined on their parkrun journey.
23 different running clubs were represented.
44 people gained a personal best.
Congratulations to Sara K on achieving her 10th parkrun
Congratulations Jean H & Tom P on completing their 50th parkrun
Congratulations to Carol R on her 150th volunteering occasion
A parkrun spokesperson said:
“Thanks again to all our wonderful volunteers as we couldn’t have a parkrun with you. If you are interested in volunteering once a week, once every six weeks or three times a year to help us keep things running smoothly, please let us know.”
Farsley Celtic left it very late to snatch a deserved draw at home to a dogged Telford side who had taken a first-minute lead
Deep into stoppage time defender Danny Ellis scored what will surely go down as the best goal of his career, catching a volley from at 35 yards out that whistled past a previously unbeatable Matt Yates in the Bucks goal.
It was the least a persistent Farsley side deserved after it seemed the Telford stopper would keep the Celts at bay with a string of fine saves.
Photographer Simon Cullingworth was on hand to capture the action:
A crowdfunding campaign to kickstart ambitious plans for a community led farm in the Kirkstall Valley have reached their £20,000 target.
Volunteers at the Kirkstall Valley Development Trust has taken over the lease of 16 acres of land from Leeds City Council and aim to provide fresh vegetables, host events and act as a community hub for educational projects.
The farm site, off Kirkstall Road. Photo: KVDT
Reaching the £20,000 target also has an added bonus – a mystery benefactor has pledge to double the total raised, meaning Kirkstall Valley Farm will receive a total of £40,000.
One of the people behind the scheme, Roger Plumtree, said:
“Thanks so much to everyone. We’ve reached the target with a week to go. With the help of our local benefactor, that £20,000 will become £40,000. We are ploughing on to our stretch target of £25,000, so please help us if you can.
“We are particularly keen to hear from people who want to be members (£24 donation in the Crowdfunder). You will be the ones who have the say in how the Farm is run. “
It’s hoped the farm, which is based off Kirkstall Road and used to be known as Burley Mills Farm, will be in operation later this year.
Short courses in woodwork and natural crafts are on the timetable during half-term at TCV Hollybush, writes Stephen Hillier.
Information about our courses can also be found on the Hollybush Facebook events page.
Courses are free to those on income related benefits, or who have a salary below £16,009.50 (based on a full-time contract). There is also a reduced rate for anyone of state pension age or over.
Hollybush, off Broad Lane, is a community volunteering centre hosting many different projects involving a wide range of adults and children.
The centre is also now offering some great Natural Crafts courses on an outreach basis. If you have a group of eight or more people who’d enjoy it, tutor Gemma could teach at your centre too.
