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Conference Leeds the conference bureau for the city of Leeds, is thrilled to announce that Leeds has been crowned Best Events Destination at the 2020 C&IT Awards, which was held virtually on Thursday the 24th of September. The city of Leeds was shortlisted for the award for Best Events Destination which aimed to recognise the UK’s best conferencing destination. Leeds was crowned the winner after impressing judges with its leadership and overall conferencing proposition that has been used to attract conferences and…

Experienced design teams are being encouraged to enter a competition to transform Leeds City Square as part of plans to make the city centre more vibrant, dynamic and inclusive. The competition has been launched by The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) on behalf of Balfour Beatty and Leeds City Council and will appeal to applicants with experience of delivering world class public spaces in city centres. Applicants will be requested to design a world class and vibrant piece of inclusive public realm, which…

Councillor Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council said: “I’d like to extend a warm Leeds welcome to all the students returning to study and those joining us for the first time. “Leeds rightly prides itself on being a welcoming city, and a place where we all work together.  The council is working with partners across all sectors, including our universities, and we will continue doing all we can to keep everyone in the city safe and well. “Coronavirus and Covid-19 is an extremely serious disease and a threat to…

No new restrictions have been imposed on Leeds by the government today, but the city could face further limits this time next week if the number of infections continues to rise. People are being urged to do everything they can to help stop the spread of the virus as the city remains in enhanced support and will be reconsidered for stricter rules this time next week. Rates in Leeds now stand at 78.3 per 100,000 people, with 7.1% of those testing proving positive, as concerted efforts to bring the spread of infection down…

Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Police are engaging with businesses to help ensure that they have the necessary COVID safety measures in place, ahead of more rigorous checks and enforcement. As the infection rate in Leeds continues to rise, city leaders are calling on bars, restaurants, and takeaways across the city to help to stop the spread of coronavirus and prevent the need for further restrictions by following COVID-secure guidelines. To ensure that venues in Headingley are COVID-secure ahead of thousands of…

Singers and performers from Leeds are being asked to help capture the sound of a city as they collaborate on a beautiful new series of musical mosaics. The imaginative idea will see submissions by musicians, choirs and spoken word artists from all around the city synchronised as part of a stunning soundscape at Leeds City Museum later this year. The Sounds Good installation will look to explore the impact music can have on mood and will also include a piece created by with people living with Dementia which has been…

Senior councillors in Leeds will discuss proposals to invest £1.2million in a range of new leisure facilities at Temple Newsam golf course at a meeting next week. The meeting of the council’s executive board on Thursday 24 September will be asked to approve plans which would alter the current golf course facilities to offer a new road safety park, walking and cycling trails, a café, a children’s play area and landscaping improvements to recreate some of the rich history of the estate and offer a potential new event space.…

Proposals to tackle Leeds City Council’s significant budget shortfall, which has risen sharply due to the continued costs of coronavirus, are set to be discussed by senior councillors next week. As part of a meeting of the executive board on Thursday 24 September 2020, members will have the opportunity to consider a number of reports setting out the extremely difficult financial situation faced by the council, and the measures it has proposed to meet its budget shortfall. Reports for consideration include an updated…

Exported across the globe, they were the extraordinary engines which helped power Leeds to the summit of industrial excellence. But their unrivalled efficiency was also harnessed to support the growth of huge mining, railway and forced labour operations in hundreds of colonial territories. Now, thanks to an innovative partnership project at Leeds Industrial Museum, new light is being shed on the complex legacy of the city’s world famous machines. Through a fascinating collection of archive material and images,…

Building work has officially started on a £12million new build housing project in Leeds. Energy and regeneration specialist ENGIE will transform the site at Queenshill Avenue, Moortown, on behalf of Leeds Jewish Housing Association (LJHA), to create the social housing provider’s biggest sheltered accommodation scheme to date. Twenty-two existing properties have been demolished to make way for two new housing blocks, comprised of 85 one and two-bed apartments, more than 50 of which will be sheltered accommodation for older…

When notoriously shrewd Yorkshire investor Sir Arthur Ingram first commissioned the imposing lettering atop Temple Newsam House almost four centuries ago, he certainly got his money’s worth. Thought to be the wordiest architectural addition of its kind anywhere in Britain, the lengthy statement still spans the rooftop today and is one of the mansion’s most recognisable features. So when staff at the house decided the mammoth motto needed a lick of paint, they wanted to get an up close look to make sure the work was…

Commuters in Leeds can now borrow an electric bike free of charge for up to two weeks as part of a new council initiative to promote sustainable travel. Electric bikes, which make cycling easier and more accessible for many, have surged in popularity over recent years. It is hoped that the trials will encourage more commuters to leave their car at home and build more sustainable and active habits. By switching their commute to a zero emission electric bike, workers could save money, reduce their carbon footprint and…

A new state-of-the-art gym at a popular south Leeds leisure centre has officially opened this month. Equipment on offer at the new gym in Middleton Leisure Centre includes 70 exercise stations, a dedicated free weights area and new personal fitness programmes which includes the offer of a free body composition analysis to users. In addition to the new gym, the current exercise studio at the centre has also been transformed with new décor and improved acoustics and a brand new reception constructed. Working closely with…

A local charity which helps women and girls affected by sexual violence and rape is to receive further support from the Lord Mayor of Leeds after being selected as her official charity for a second year. After successfully raising over £40,000 for the charity last year, the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Eileen Taylor, has confirmed SARSVL (Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds) will remain her official charity as her term in the role continues for a second year due to the disruption caused by COVID-19. SARSVL…

Eight new School Streets pilots begin at primary schools across Leeds. Beecroft Primary School, Kirkstall; Chapel Allerton Primary School, Chapel Allerton; Great Preston CofE Primary School, Great Preston; Hollybush Primary School, Bramley; Hugh Gaitskell Primary School, Beeston; Middleton St Mary’s CE Primary School, Middleton; Westgate Primary School, Otley; and Woodlesford Primary School, Woodlesford are the latest schools to take part in the School Streets pilot scheme. School Streets make roads outside schools…

People across Leeds are being urged to support TK Maxx’s Give Up Clothes for Good campaign, which raises vital funds for Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People. This September, show support and raise money for research into children’s and young people’s cancers by wearing a gold ribbon pin badge available from Cancer Research UK and TK Maxx stores to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Childhood Cancer Awareness Month – people across Leeds are being called on to clear out their wardrobes to help more…

Detailed proposals for Aire Park, a landmark for Leeds, and the largest new city centre green space in the UK, have been officially approved by Leeds City Council’s plans panel. Developer Vastint UK put forward the plans as part of its major redevelopment for the former Tetley Brewery site with public space at its heart. The park will feature a series of connected and diverse open spaces, allowing it to be used year-round, day and evening and for a multitude of purposes. Vastint UK will work with Leeds City Council to…

Civic leaders and public health officials in Leeds are calling for a city-wide effort to avoid further restrictions being put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Leeds is expected to be added to Public Health England’s weekly watch list of areas of concern tomorrow following a rise in incidence rates and cases of the virus in parts of the city over the past few weeks. Whilst being on the list would not mean any further restrictions on the city at this stage, it does mean increased monitoring of cases and could see…

Zero Waste Leeds has launched a Uniform Reuse campaign to make school uniform reuse the norm in Leeds. The project, funded by Leeds City Council and Leeds Community Foundation’s Jimbo’s Fund, aims to encourage more families to reuse and donate school uniform. In the last two months alone, over 80 new exchange schemes have been set up by local parents and local councillors, as well as schools and community groups. School Uniform reuse helps to protect the environment by reducing the amount of uniforms sent to waste. It…