Leeds is bracing for three days of snow as the Met Office has issued a ‘yellow warning’ for most of the UK.
While much of the region has woken up to a crisp winter’s morning under a yellow warning for ice in place today, from Saturday onwards, we have another yellow warning to contend with all together, as weather forecasters are predicting that “heavy snow may cause some disruption over the weekend”.
The three-day yellow warning for snow runs from 12pm on Saturday (4 January) onto around 9am on Monday morning (6 January).
According to the Met Office, Leeds residents are being told, like much of the UK, to prepare for “a small chance” that power cuts could occur, and that other services – such as mobile phone coverage – may be affected, while there is also a “slight chance” that some rural communities could become “cut off”.
Greater Manchester braces for snow as the Met Office issues a yellow weather warning / Credit: Geograph | Pexels
As you would expect, “heavy snow” also means that there’s a chance of travel delays on roads, with some stranded vehicles and passengers because of this.
We should also be expecting delayed or cancelled rail and air travel too.
“We’ve currently issued a Yellow warning for snow covering a large part of England to cater for possible disruption over the weekend,” explained Dan Holley, who is a Deputy Chief Forecaster for the Met Office.
Speaking on the yellow weather warning issued, and what it means for the UK over the coming days, Mr Holley continued: “At this stage, there is a fair amount of uncertainty over exactly which areas will see disruptive snow, with parts of Wales, northern England, and the Midlands most likely to see some impacts.
⚠️ Yellow weather warning issued ⚠️
A risk of snow across parts of Scotland, England and Wales
“Here we could see 5cm or more in quite a few areas, and perhaps as much as 20-30cm over high ground, including Wales and the Pennines. Coupled with strengthening winds this could lead to drifting, making travelling conditions difficult over higher-level routes in particular.”
Mr Holley also added that it’s likely this yellow warning will be “refined” over the coming days as “confidence in the forecast increases”, and advises that everyone “keeping up to date” with the latest warnings.
You can keep up to date with the yellow warning covering Leeds here.
Otley has announced its intention to bid to become UK Town of Culture 2028.
Entering into the national competition launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the West Yorkshire town is hoping to be the first-ever town to claim the title.
The Town of Culture competition invites towns across the UK to showcase their cultural story and develop ambitious programmes that celebrate local heritage, creativity, and communities.
The winning town receives a £3 million grant from the Government to deliver a major year-long cultural programme in 2028 designed to boost civic pride, attract visitors, and provide everyone with the opportunity to participate in cultural activities.
Their bid is focused around the Otley 800, a year-long programme that will mark the 800th anniversary of the granting of the Royal Market Charter in 1227 and the bridge over the River Wharfe in 1228.
These two historic moments transformed Otley into the bustling market town that it is today, so it deserves to be recognised.
Work has been going on behind the scenes for the past two years, with the council and Otley BID working with residents to put plans in place for the special year.
More than 70 organisations have been involved.
Mayor of Otley Cllr Paul Carter said: “Otley has always been a town that punches above its weight. This bid is about celebrating our history, but also about investing in our future — creating opportunities for our community, raising our profile and making sure Otley continues to thrive for the next 800 years.”
The shortlist for UK Town of Culture 2028 is set to be announced later this year, with each chosen town receiving £60,000 to help deliver their full bids for the competition. Fingers crossed!
Permission granted for new ‘Corn Exchange Pavilion’ to be built in Leeds city centre
Clementine Hall
The green light has been given for a brand-new pavilion to be built outside the Corn Exchange in Leeds city centre.
Yesterday, Tuesday 31 March, the planning committee of Leeds City Council officially gave the green light to plans submitted by CX Leeds Ltd.
These include plans to build a pavilion outside the Corn Exchange, one of Leeds' most iconic city centre landmarks.
The new building will go where that rather underwhelming patch of astroturf currently lays, in front of the Cornucopia mural and next to the bus shelter.
It lies between New Market Street and Crown Street.
DEN Architecture state that the materials selected will create an intriguing single-storey structure that compliments the surrounding area.
They stated: “The scale of the building and roof form of the proposal pays tribute to the previous tram and bus shelters that once occupied the site.
"While retaining the appropriately subservient nature of any new building in close proximity to the Corn Exchange. This will also provide greater visibility of the Cornucopia Mural.
“The building has been designed following extensive and thorough analysis, with a clear understanding of the built environment and the area’s historic significance.”
It's not yet been decided upon what the building's use will be, although Leeds city council suggests it could be used for "outdoor functions, shops and cafes".
When first put forward to the council back in December 2024, the plans were met with three objections from the public.
So, what would you like to see go into this new space?
Emily Sergeant -
2nd January 2025 
