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For the first time since their Treble winning season, Leeds Rhinos are back at Wembley in the Coral Challenge Cup Final, taking on Salford Red Devils, who haven’t reached the final stage since 1969. The game is live on BBC One, kick off 3pm. Leeds and Salford have faced off eleven times before in the Challenge Cup but this will be the first time either side has met in the Final. Nobody could have imagined at that point the impact that coronavirus would have. Lockdown, withdrawals and redraws have helped define this…

A report providing an update on the range of meaningful help which is being undertaken by Leeds City Council and partners to assist those currently living a street-based lifestyle, is set to be discussed by senior councillors next week. Submitted to the council’s executive board on Wednesday 21 October, 2020, members will have the opportunity to examine the findings of an Independent Review which was undertaken following concerns that were raised regarding the deaths of a number of rough sleepers in the city and to…

Leeds’ planned Clean Air Zone is no longer required thanks to businesses switching to cleaner vehicles faster than expected, a joint review by Leeds City Council and central government has concluded. Senior councillors will discuss the conclusions and proposals to voluntarily introduce new air quality targets that go further than the national standards at a meeting of the council’s Executive Board next week. More than 90% of buses and 80% of heavy goods vehicles driven in the city now use cleaner Euro VI engines and…

Equality, diversity, cohesion and integration screening – organisational change impacting on the workforce. As a public authority we need to ensure that all organisational change arrangements impacting on the workforce have given proper consideration to equality, diversity, cohesion and integration. Equality and diversity will always have relevancy to organisational changes which impact on a diverse workforce. The significant challenges faced by Leeds City Council in next year’s budget as the city continues to confront…

Updated government restrictions on households mixing indoors will be put in place in Leeds this week as part of a new national risk alert system aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19. Leeds was named in the “high” middle tier of the government’s three-tier system in response to a rise in the number of cases of the virus in households and communities across the city. Everyone in Leeds is again being urged help protect the city, each other and the NHS by observing the updated restrictions, as well as observing the…

Additional powers to tackle the misuse of fireworks in communities across Leeds have come into force this month. As part of an injunction order secured at Leeds County Court, both preventative and proactive measures will be available to Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Police to take action against any individual or group that is found to be using fireworks in an anti-social or threatening manner. Provided through the injunction, which will be in place for an initial period up to 30 November 2020, is also an order…

Black History Month is a very important time where we celebrate the history and achievements of black contributions to the UK. Iconic buildings were illuminated to mark the start of activities to celebrate Black History Month in Leeds. Leeds Civic Hall, Leeds Town Hall, and Leeds City Museum were lit up as the city began a programme of events to recognise the achievements and contributions of people of African and Caribbean heritage and encourage people to learn more. Events and presentations will also be held this month…

Thousands of council tenants across Leeds are to benefit from significantly cheaper energy bills as part of a transformational new programme to improve council housing and cut the city’s carbon footprint. As part of the council’s commitments to invest in green technologies it has gone out to tender for a provider to design, develop and deliver six new district heating networks that will reduce carbon emissions, help residents save money and improve the wellbeing and comfort of those living in council properties. The…

Civic leaders in Leeds have joined forces with the local hospitality sector to call on the government to urgently review restrictions, in particular those requiring venues to close their doors at 10pm and to consider sector specific support. In a joint letter issued to the Prime Minister, Councillor Judith Blake, leader Leeds City Council and chief executive Tom Riordan have united with bars and restaurants from across Leeds to highlight the severe impact the curfew is having on the city’s economy. Councillor Judith…

Leeds City Council is thanking residents, organisations and businesses that have switched to cleaner and greener vehicles or who regularly travel sustainably for helping to protect the health of everyone in the city from polluted air. Over the last four years, the number of ultra-low emission vehicles and cleaner diesel buses and heavy goods vehicles driven in Leeds has increased dramatically. More than 90% of buses and 80% of heavy goods vehicles now use cleaner Euro VI engines—a huge increase from the 3% of buses…

A group of older people in Leeds will form a flock of budding birdwatchers this winter thanks to a heart-warming new community project. Through an innovative partnership between Leeds Museums and Galleries, arts organisation Skippko and older people’s support network Armley Helping Hands, the group is being encouraged to spot and identify the birds they can see safely from their windows at home. Online videos of birds from the taxidermy collection at Leeds Discovery Centre along with specially-created…

A new service detailing how private sector businesses can help small and medium enterprises (SMEs), access funding through the Apprenticeship Levy to create their own training and skills opportunities, is being launched by Leeds City Council in partnership with the Leeds Anchors Network. The ‘Levy Match Leeds’ initiative aims to improve access for SMEs to any support and funds that are available for apprenticeship training costs through Levy Transfers. The fund now stands at £500,000, and the ambition is to grow this…

A group of MPs, civic and business leaders from across Yorkshire has written to Boris Johnson calling for the full delivery of HS2’s Eastern Leg. In a letter to the Prime Minister, the cross-party group cites a new report which demonstrates stark social and economic inequalities between the Eastern and Western regions of the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine. Mind the gap: The role of HS2’s Eastern Leg in bridging England’s east-west divide, authored by campaign group HS2 East, highlights that communities…

A £20million city centre improvement scheme has reached the next exciting phase of delivery. From Sunday (4 October), buses will return to serve the Headrow in both directions. This means that the temporary bus stops on Calverley Street, Great George Street and Merrion Street will be taken out of use and later removed. Bus services will return to bus stops on The Headrow and Albion Street. The return of a two-way bus operation on the Headrow will enable the return of bus services to the Bus Station, such as the 72 and…

Experience Art in the Dark. Light Night Leeds is the UK’s largest annual arts and light festival. Over two incredible nights in October some of Leeds' most recognisable indoor and outdoor spaces are transformed by spectacular artworks and captivating performances by local, national and international artists. Light Night invites people to see the city in a new light and discover free arts events across the city centre. From large-scale light projections and interactive installations, to music, dance and street performances,…

A 500-year-old checklist detailing the complete contents of Temple Newsam House when it was first built has gone on display in an exhibition exploring centuries of life above and below stairs. Compiled for Thomas, Lord Darcy, thought to be the house’s first official resident, the fascinating inventory would have served as comprehensive stocktake of his palatial new home back in the early 16th Century. Remarkably well-preserved, the document is one of the key exhibits in Below the Salt, a thought-provoking exhibition by…

Morley is to benefit from a share of an £80 million government cash injection to breathe new life into its town centre. Leeds City Council has received £750,000 as one of 100 places across the country and 15 in Yorkshire – that have secured between £500,000 and £1million to help them recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and to kick-start longer term growth plans by developing new green spaces, pedestrianising streets and creating community hubs. The funding will be focused across the town centre, with improvements…

Leeds City Council is encouraging people within their household groups or support bubbles to collect tree seeds in their local parks and green spaces to help support the growing of future woodlands across Leeds. Running until November, residents can collect acorns, beech nuts, chestnuts and conkers, and leave them in seed collection boxes across the city for use as part of the council's Woodland Creation initiative. Twelve locations with collection boxes have now been set up in the city's green spaces, and can be found…

A life-changing learning project giving young people with additional educational needs the chance to work with a spectacular collection of historic museum exhibits has scooped a prestigious national award. Careers for All, run by Leeds Museums and Galleries was named Museums and Heritage Award Learning Programme of the Year 2020 for providing young people with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) with an exciting stepping stone into the world of work. One of the UK’s top industry gongs, the Museums and…

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…