Don Mort

Leeds City Council has temporarily locked one pedestrian gate at Yeadon Cemetery after reports of intimidating behaviour, vehicles congregating, public urination and littering. The cemetery remains accessible through its main entrance, while the council will monitor the impact of the measure. Witnesses are encouraged to report anti-social behaviour to West Yorkshire Police.

Go-Ahead Group has applied to convert a vacant industrial site on Varley Street in Stanningley into a bus depot capable of storing up to 100 buses and including a workshop. The company says the depot would support bids for local and school bus contracts following West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s franchising programme, create jobs, and help deliver services around Pudsey. Leeds City Council is being asked to approve the change of use quickly enough for operations to begin in spring 2027.

Leeds City Council refused plans to convert the Grade II-listed Freedom House in Tingley into seven homes. The proposal included an extension and conversions of surrounding buildings and aimed to bring the fire-damaged, long-vacant site back into use. Planning officers and conservation advisers objected that the design was unsympathetic to the historic setting, while highways officials raised road safety concerns. The scheme had already been reduced from 14 homes following discussions with the council.

Leeds City Council plans to award a £680,000 contract to repair and stabilise historic buildings on Lower Kirkgate, where the road has been closed since an 18th-century building partially collapsed in April 2024. The revised cost is more than £260,000 higher than the previously estimated £414,500, following structural surveys, ground-condition checks and design changes. The work is expected to take 20 weeks and could begin next month. The council says it intends to recover the cost from the private building owners under an Urgent Works Notice.

Leeds City Council has approved a £500,000 investment to upgrade the council-run leisure centres in Pudsey and Rothwell. Pudsey will receive improvements to its changing rooms and swimming pool equipment, while Rothwell will gain a refurbished crèche and a dedicated studio. The council expects the work to improve customer experience, retain members, increase operational efficiency and support income growth. Funding will come from the council’s capital budget.

Leeds City Council has approved plans by Mitchells & Butlers Retail to convert vacant offices above the Nation of Shopkeepers bar on Cookridge Street into a 42-bedroom Innkeeper’s Collection hotel. The Grade II-listed 19th-century building’s upper floors have been unused since 2022, and the council said the scheme would provide much-needed accessible hotel accommodation, create employment and boost the city-centre economy while retaining the bar below. Leeds Civic Trust supported the application.

A derelict convenience store at 352 Tong Road in Farnley, Leeds, has been granted an alcohol licence and is expected to reopen daily from 8am to 11pm. Applicant Gurvinder Sagoo agreed to withdraw the request for 24-hour alcohol sales and accepted conditions including a Challenge 25 policy, CCTV and staff training. Sagoo said he planned to run the shop with his son, regenerate the property and build flats above it. Despite one local objection citing nearby alcohol-selling premises, a Leeds City Council licensing sub-committee approved the licence.

Amorino Italian Cafe and Kitchen on Tinshill Road in Cookridge has been granted permission by Leeds City Council to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises from 10am to 8pm. Residents submitted four objections, citing potential noise and traffic congestion in the residential area. The applicant said the family-friendly, food-led cafe would operate safely, and councillors approved the licence subject to conditions; the cafe’s daily opening hours will be 9am to 8:30pm.

Leeds City Council has allocated about £285,000 from the government’s Crisis and Resilience Fund to Burmantofts Community Projects. The funding will support the Burmantofts Money Buddies service, which provides debt, welfare benefits, energy and money guidance to approximately 1,800 people in east Leeds. The initiative targets low-income households facing financial hardship, rising housing or energy costs, income loss and barriers to mainstream advice, with the broader aim of reducing poverty and inequality.

A former NatWest bank building in Crossgates could reopen as a bar pending a licensing decision by Leeds City Council. The application has prompted concerns from some residents about noise and disorder, while others have expressed support. The applicant says measures will be implemented to minimise disruption. Councillors will decide whether to approve, refuse, or impose conditions on the licence at a forthcoming hearing.

Road safety upgrades including a mini-roundabout, zebra crossing, footpath widening and removal of a redundant bus stop will proceed in Yeadon as part of a legal agreement tied to the development of a new Lidl store. The works follow a planning appeal in which Lidl was granted permission to revise its proposed store layout after an initial refusal. The improvements, funded by Lidl, face no objections from emergency services or the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and are expected to be completed by February 2027.

A Burley Road takeaway in Leeds received a licence to operate until 3am after agreeing to conditions aimed at reducing noise and litter. Operator Muhammad Baig committed to litter‑picking and managing delivery driver disturbance, while the Little Woodhouse Community Association objected and proposed earlier closing times. An agreement with West Yorkshire Police supported the approval, and the new licence for Baig and Brothers Ltd was granted following a Leeds City Council hearing.

A bid to grant Pudsey Town Hall protected historic status has been rejected, clearing the way for Leeds City Council to continue with plans to sell the building. Historic England determined that extensive structural alterations since its construction in the late 1800s meant it did not meet the criteria for listing. The hall, unused by the public since 2016 and costly to maintain, had previously failed to qualify as an Asset of Community Value despite local opposition and a petition signed by more than 1,000 residents.

A Grade II-listed building on The Headrow in Leeds may be converted into seven flats under a new planning application. The proposal, submitted with a design report from CRL Architects, cites reduced demand for office space due to remote and hybrid working. The scheme includes six one‑bed apartments and one two‑bed unit, with attention to preserving the building’s historic character. Leeds City Council is consulting on the application until mid‑July.