Don Mort

Hunslet and Nelson Cricket Club has received approval from Leeds City Council to replace its deteriorating clubhouse on Gipsy Lane in Beeston with a new facility incorporating clubroom and changing areas. The scheme also includes new changing rooms, kitchen and toilets, car parking, demolition of existing buildings, and improved provision for the club’s nine junior, senior and women’s teams. The redevelopment is intended to support future growth and remove inadequate temporary structures.

The projected cost of urgent repairs to the historic Lower Kirkgate buildings in Leeds has risen from £414,500 to £680,000 after structural surveys and ground-condition checks led to design changes. The street has been closed since April 2024 following the partial collapse of an 18th-century building. Leeds City Council expects the 20-week repair programme, to be carried out by Geo Houlton and Sons, to begin next month, and plans to recover the costs from the privately owned buildings’ owners under an Urgent Works Notice.

Leeds City Council plans to auction the vacant Bentley Primary School site in Meanwood after it has stood empty since November 2018. The council says the property is surplus to requirements, generates maintenance costs and could provide a capital receipt. Government restrictions on selling the site are due to expire in November 2026, while the reserve price has yet to be set. Although there is a risk the site may not sell, the council expects interest from buyers who could refurbish or redevelop it for productive uses.

A historic listed villa in Micklefield Park, Rawdon, could be converted from former Leeds City Council offices into eight residential flats. The 1840s Gothic-style Micklefield House, which is reportedly in disrepair and has leaking roofing, would undergo repairs and minimal alterations under plans submitted to Leeds City Council. Listed building consent is being consulted on until 14 August, while the property was previously marketed with a closing auction bid of £464,000.

Liberal Democrat councillors in Otley are calling for parking charges at Otley Chevin to be scrapped, arguing that the fees have sharply reduced visitor numbers and left the car park unusually empty during the school holidays. Leeds City Council introduced charges of up to £4.50 per day or £10 per month in February 2025. Although the council is reviewing charges introduced in several district centres, it says Otley Chevin is not currently included in that review and that discussions with local councillors are continuing.