Leeds
Leeds £46m train station re-design ongoing as govt watchdog brands HS2 ‘unachievable’
Many in the region are wondering what is being done to improve our railways right now.
Leeds train station is undergoing a £46m re-design that will see its entrance completely transformed within two years.
The station’s main entrance and surrounding area are set to be considerably improved, thanks to a huge funding input of £46.1m courtesy of Leeds Station Sustainable Travel Gateway.
Work has been taking place since 2022, and the updates are designed to ensure that the station can meet increased capacity demands.
Given the news on Sunday that the government's own infrastructure watchdog has finally branded its long-drawn-out HS2 vision for the country's rail future 'unachievable’, many in the region are wondering what is being done to improve our railways.
With major improvement work at the station now underway, however, it's more noticeable than ever - leading locals to wonder what, exactly, is going on, and when it will be finished.
New Station Street is to be pedestrianised, meaning the existing taxi rank will be relocated to Bishopgate Street accessible by two 21-passenger capacity lifts.
Read more: There’s a beach coming to Leeds city centre for the summer
Bus services, meanwhile, will be relocated to Boar Lane with walking routes complemented by comprehensive wayfinding displays.
Further new additions as part of the £46m upgrade, meanwhile, will include a new cycling hub at the station and the addition of new cycling infrastructure on Bishopgate Street and Neville Street.
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Environmental improvements are also pencilled in for the refurbishment, to future-proof the station and make it more sustainable for the next generation.
The deadline for completion is currently set for 2025, with improvements delivered by Leeds City Council in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Network Rail, via the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund.
Featured image - Geograph
Leeds
Vinyl-only 1970s-inspired cocktail bar coming to Leeds from team behind some of the city’s best bars
Clementine Hall
A new cocktail bar is coming to Leeds city centre.
If you know a thing or two about cocktails, or just drinks in general, then you're going to be very excited about this news.
The very talented team behind Roland's on Call Lane and The Domino Club, just to name a few, are setting their sites on a brand-new venture.
Introducing Paper Plane, an intimate new cocktail bar that will be taking over the old Casa site in the city's beautiful Grand Arcade.
Paper Plane will be inspired by the glamour of 1970s air travel and will be a vinyl-only listening bar, serving a world-inspired cocktail menu alongside a carefully curated whisky collection.
The space will be lovely and intimate, with around just 40 covers, designed to transport guests somewhere completely different from the minute they step foot through the door.
And what a location too, joining a whole host of fantastic independents in the arcade such as Alfonso's Deli, Stuzzi and Sonder.
For now, we don't know many more details about the project, but we already know it's going to be exceptional cas anything these guys do turns to gold.
Not only has Roland's been consistently one of the busiest bars on Call Lane since they opened back in 2014, but The Domino Club was recently crowned one of the best cocktail bars in the world. Now that is some accolade worth shouting about.
We'll keep you updated with Paper Plane's progress, but Roland's have stated that the site is hoping to open this coming autumn. So we really don't have long to wait.
Read more from The Hoot Leeds:
Featured image - Supplied
Leeds
When Yorkshire is due to get hot as a fourth heatwave of the year hits the UK
Danny Jones
Yes, ANOTHER heatwave is set to hit the UK - the fourth in 2026 so far - and, understandably, Yorkshire residents are already preparing for the latest blast of hot weather and wondering when it arrives.
Yes, in case you missed the news, more high temperatures are set to spread across the UK and Ireland this month and heading into August.
The increase will gradually build throughout this week, with Wednesday tipped to be the hottest day according to various meteorologists.
While Yorkshire thankfully isn't quite slated to get the sweatiest, parts of the Midlands and the usual suspects down south are set to hit the highest numbers, but the thermometers are still on course to reach around the mid-20s over the coming days.
When does the next heatwave hit Yorkshire?
As per data from BBC Weather and the Met Office, Yorkshire's heatwave started yesterday on Tues, 28 July.
Estimates of 26°C were predicted for this coming Tuesday, with the levels floating in and around 24/25 on the following Wednesday.
The heat is then due to drop off slowly, with top scores of no higher than 21°C on the cards for Thursday and Friday. Although the weekend forecast is less certain at present, one thing that has been announced is reduced rainfall.
Aside from a few more trickles today (Mon, 27 July), the showers or lack thereof cease rather soon, with some of the driest parts of the country already having various effects; for instance, parched parts of Wales have even revealed lost archaeological sites last Friday (24/7/2026).
It would be remiss if we didn't mention the obvious moorland fires across our region, which were sadly exacerbated by hot weather earlier this month.
Read more:
Featured Images — The Hoot Leeds
Georgina Pellant -
31st July 2023 
