If successful, this could amount to £186 million worth of investment in Leeds.
Leeds City Council has submitted multiple funding bids for six constituencies to receive funding to transform communities across Leeds.
The Levelling Up Fund is now in its second round, and Leeds City Council hopes to receive a portion of the funding to dedicate to areas like Morley, Armley, Holbeck, the River Aire corridor and further out into the North East and North West of Leeds.
The plans could see a total of £186 million worth of investment: up to £120 million from the Levelling Up Fund, then a further £56.3 million from partners and grants for economic growth, health and wellbeing inequalities, and a £8.7m match funding contribution from Leeds City Council.
In a press release, Leeds City Council explained that there were six bids in total, and each would target a different area of Leeds' development:
The Leeds Central bid aims to renew Holbeck's local infrastructure, including a transformation of the local community centre, green spaces and deliver green retrofit property repairs.
Armley Gyratory / Image: Leeds City Council
Leeds West's bid would also focus on green spaces with development across five community parks, travel connections, and the high street in Armley that prioritises public transport and pedestrians.
North West Leeds has focused on a package of two "intrinsically linked" projects that would invest in transport infrastructure as a way of making the 90 acre North West Leeds employment hub site more accessible.
Similarly, the bid for North East Leeds prioritises transport by looking to offer new sustainable methods of travel. This would include options through a new park and ride site and the provision of high-quality segregated walking, cycling, and dedicated bus infrastructure along one of the main corridors. This area was chosen to "connect North East Leeds with the city centre and relieving the communities along the corridor" in an increasingly eco-friendly way.
The existing Fearnville Leisure Centre would also see a 6000 m² wellbeing centre as part of the Leeds East bid. The council has stated that this would be an important part of "allowing for the revitalisation of a rapidly deteriorating facility to serve some of the most deprived communities in Leeds".
The bid for Elmet and Rothwell, is all about linking the River Aire through a "coherent connected corridor", focusing on creating a new visitor welcome building at the RSPB St Aidan’s Nature Reserve.
St Aidan's Nature Reserve. / Image: RSPB
Councillor James Lewis Leader of Leeds City Council, said: “We have put together six ambitious bids and they represent a real opportunity to build on the great work taking place across Leeds to regenerate our local communities, delivering 21st Century infrastructure and create meaningful jobs.
“The scale and ambition of the bids also reflect the incredible amount of work put into their development and I must extend a sincere thank you to teams from Asset Management and Regeneration, Highways and Transportation, and Parks and Countryside along with their partners and consultants.”
Now that the bids have been submitted, the proposals will be evaluated by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
The outcome of the bids is expected to be announced with the Autumn statement.
Feature Image- Leeds City Council
Leeds
Female-founded independent jewellery brand to open in Leeds’ Victoria Gate
Norfolk-based jewellery brand Lisa Angel is opening their first Yorkshire site right here in Leeds.
Jewellery and trinket lovers, this one's for you.
Lisa Angel, a female-founded jewellery and gifting brand will open the doors to its new store in Victoria Gate next month.
Shoppers can expect a wonderful range of jewellery, gifts, and accessories that have established a loyal following during more than twenty years of business.
Founded in 2004 by Lisa hand making jewellery which she sold at craft fairs local to her Norfolk home, the business has only gone from strength to strength since.
Image: Supplied
The brand is now a recognised part of the British high street landscape, boasting seven other stores across Norfolk, Suffolk, and the Midlands.
After opening two stores last year and three stores in 2024, Lisa Angel’s founder and Creative Director, Lisa, said: “As an independent retailer, we are thrilled to launch in a destination with such a reputation as Victoria Leeds.
"We believe retail should remain grounded in inspiration and discovery, and we look forward to bringing just that to the vibrant city of Leeds, in our first store in the north.”
Managing Director James Moody explained the significance to the business of opening a new store in a city as influential as Leeds: “We're incredibly excited to be opening our first northern showcase store in such a prestigious location.
"Victoria Leeds represents exactly the kind of vibrant retail destination where we can bring the full Lisa Angel experience to new customers. This is a significant milestone for us as we continue to grow our retail presence."
We'll keep you up to date when we know an opening date, but for now you can check out what to expect here.
Yorkshire residents are being invited to name two new bin lorries
Clementine Hall
Well...this is a new one.
Ever fancied naming a bin lorry? Well today is your lucky day, because now you can.
Yorkshire-based waste management experts Divert are celebrating the arrival of two swanky new tbin rucks by inviting the local community to help name them.
The iconic purple bins, vans and trucks can be seen across the Yorkshire area helping to clean up waste from Bradford to Harrogate.
Two new lorries are set to be joining the fleet in April and May, and of course they need a name.
And who better to ask than the general public? The winning names will be added to the cabs of each of the trucks for all to see, and announced via the Divert website and social media channels.
Absolutely anyone from across the UK is welcome to take part, but the company are especially keen for people from Yorkshire to enter.
You can be as creative as you like, but there are a couple of rules...
No swearing or offensive names. Aside from that, you can let your freak flag fly.
The Divert team are keen to hear the 'best celebrity puns, local namesakes, and downright silly names' the public have to offer.
John Verity, Managing Director of Divert, comments: “Naming our bin trucks is a great way to bring some joy to the local community. We hope to bring a smile to the faces of passing drivers and pedestrians as our fleet passes by.
“Not only that, naming our lorries can help our drivers to take pride and ownership in the vehicles they drive and be a key reminder of our engagement within the community. We’re always keen to employ any initiatives that help the public to engage with us and ensure we’re seen as a friendly face in the area.”
Winners will be voted for by the team internally, and the competition closes at 5 pm on 31 March 2026.
Sophie Smith -
15th August 2022 
