This week is your last chance to apply for a street road closure for the Platinum Jubilee weekend in Leeds.
Leeds City Council is inviting local communities to host street parties for the occasion, but your last chance to apply is Friday 15 April- so make sure if you're looking to clsoe your road for a Jubilee-themed street party over the June bank holiday, you get it in quickly.
With Queen Elizabeth II set to mark her Platinum Jubilee from Thursday 2 June to Sunday 5 June 2022, making her the first ever British monarch to reach this milestone, and with the UK to get an extra bank holiday to celebrate, Leeds City Council is offering anyone the chance to host a street party.
The Platinum Jubilee celebrates the Queen's Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne, and a remarkable seven decades of service to the British people.
On a national scale, a number of events are planned for the celebratory four-day weekend - including Trooping the Colour, lighting of Platinum Jubilee Beacons, a thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral, and of course, an extra bank holiday.
If that's not enough to keep you entertained, there will be performance in London to tell the story of the Queen’s reign through a pageant that will include a ‘River of Hope’, a section that will see over 200 silk flags flow through The Mall to replicate a moving river.
But a little closer to home, you can now submit a request to close your street off for the day and host a good, old-fashioned street party.
Officially, Saturday 4 June, is the day of the Big Jubilee Lunch. Street parties in their masses are already being planned across the UK and neighbours are expected to come together to mark the occasion, so this is likely to be the most popular date to close off your street and celebrate with neighbours.
This said, Leeds City Council has stated that residents of Leeds are encouraged to apply to close their street and celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend, with the expected dates of Thursday 2 June - Sunday 5 June 2022 in mind for road closures.
Leeds residents can now request to close their road for a street party this summer / Credit: Tim Ellis (via Flickr)
The Queen's Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend will also see the royal announcement of the winner of the Platinum Pudding Competition. Back in January, it was announced this morning that Buckingham Palace is searching for the perfect pudding to celebrate the platinum celebration.
Entries are due to be judged by the likes of culinary legend and national treasure, Dame Mary Berry, and the dish will follow in the footsteps of the British staple dish, coronation chicken, a dish created by Le Cordon Bleu to celebrate the Queen’s coronation banquet in 1953.
If you can't wait until June to celebrate, the Platinum Jubilee Celebration will kick off Thursday 12 May - Sunday 15 May 2022 with smaller scale events celebrating the monarch. In London, over 1,000 performers and an additional 500 horses will take part in a 90-minute show in honour of Her Majesty. The performance will take the audience through the Queen’s reign as well as looking back on year’s gone by- right from Elizabeth I to the present day.
The deadline to apply to close a road is Friday 15 April, and you can find out more information and submit an application via the Leeds City Council website.
Deliveroo and Coco Robotics are set to bring robot deliveries to Leeds through a new strategic partnership.
Next time you order a takeaway...let's just say, it could look a little different.
In the new exclusive partnership, Deliveroo and Coco Robotics are launching in multiple locations, beginning with Canary Wharf in London this October, before launching here in Leeds as well as Milton Keynes, Stockton on Tees and Nottingham in the coming weeks and months.
The rollout marks Coco Robotic's entry into the UK, extending the company’s broader expansion across Europe.
While the majority of orders will continue to be fulfilled by Deliveroo’s rider network, Coco’s fully electric robots are suited to short-distances and navigating urban environments, offering additional flexibility to local businesses on Deliveroo’s platform.
The robots operate at walking place, meaning they're able to move safely through busy streets whilst carrying orders directly to customers.
Image: Supplied
Miki Kuusi, CEO at Deliveroo and Head of DoorDash International: “London is where Deliveroo was born, so it feels fitting that we’re launching our first UK autonomous delivery service with Coco Robotics here before expanding our exclusive partnership to more towns and cities nationwide, building on our partnership in other geographies.
“We see huge potential in autonomous delivery and we are looking forward to working with Coco to bring more flexibility to our delivery network, helping local restaurants and shops meet increasing consumer demand. We firmly believe that robot and drone technology should benefit High Street businesses of all sizes, helping them remain competitive and meet consumers in new ways.”
Councillor Tom Hinchcliffe, Leeds City Council’s executive member for transport and planning, said: "Our council is determined to embrace the opportunities offered by emerging technology. This approach has already helped establish Leeds as a location for hosting and advising on robot delivery trials.
“Supporting innovation means attracting investment. That's why we are now pleased to be working with Coco Robotics regarding the city’s future involvement in the UK rollout of their partnership with Deliveroo.
“We look forward to exploring the benefits that the rollout can bring to Leeds and its residents.”
Leeds microbrewery launches Crowdfunder campaign to open city centre taproom
Clementine Hall
A popular microbrewery in Leeds has launched a £40k Crowdfunder campaign to help them open a new taproom in the city centre.
Born in 2020, Tartarus Beers set out with the aim to produce high quality craft beer with a 'mythical edge'.
From a 100L kit to a 2500L brewery in Sheepscar just outside of Leeds city centre, they have grown to have a small cult following over the years.
They closed their Sheepscar taproom back in 2025, and now they're setting their sites on another location in the city centre so customers can enjoy a freshly poured pint of their lager, IPA or stout.
Images: Tartarus Brewery
And to help them get there, Tartarus have launched a Crowdfunder campaign of £40k asking their following to donate whatever they can to help them reach their goal.
Announcing the news to Instagram, Tartarus said: We are opening a bar in Leeds and would love your help!
"So many of you have asked when we would be opening our taproom or bar! We are excited to say the time is now!... or, well soon. Location to be announced but we can confirm it's in Leeds.
"We have launched a crowdfund and would love for you to get involved...We hope to see you all soon, at the Tartarus Tap!"
Images: Tartarus Brewery
"Expect international beers on tap and in the fridges, plus special events where we will be hosting international breweries! We will of course have a wide range of Tartarus Beers available on tap & in the fridges, plus meads, wines & no-low options. Oh and don't forget the rare bottles from our secret cellar."
So far, the campaign has raised £7,000 with prizes such as a branded t shirt, vouchers and discount cards available as incentives depending on how much you donate.
You can donate to the Tartarus Tap Crowdfunder here.
Sophie Smith -
14th April 2022 
