Senior councillors in Leeds will meet next week to consider plans to open up venues across the city as 'warm places'.
At it's meeting on Wednesday 19 October 2022, the council's executive board will meet to discuss reports on how the city will respond to the current cost of living crisis.
The first report will focus on the range of support that the council and it's partners will offer on welfare and financial inclusion, whilst the second is aimed at the impact of the current crisis on child poverty in the city.
One feature of the council's response to the cost of living crisis is to promote public locations such as community hubs and libraries as warm sites. These locations will act as places where people can be warm through the winter and reduce their home energy costs.
The council is working with partners across the city and with 36 sites planned, they hope to reveal their location and open them soon with further venues to follow.
The venues will offer a 'warm welcome' to those visiting, with free hot refreshments and activities for children and families to enjoy. These facilities will join the already existing services of free access to books, computers and Wi-Fi.
Image: Leeds Library
Leeds City Council executive member for communities, Councillor Mary Harland said:
“We know people across Leeds are really struggling due to the cost of living crisis, and the council is committed to doing everything it can to work together with our partners and stakeholders to help.
"Especially during the cold winter months ahead, we would encourage people to make use of the warm places around the city to help keep their home costs down and to make use of all free support and guidance available. By working together and looking out for each other we can help especially the most vulnerable people in Leeds to get through this challenging time.
Further support and free financial guidance is currently available in all council-managed community hubs whilst an overview of all the support available can be found at the council's dedicated website. This includes help across food services, health, housing, water and jobs.
You can also find low-cost and free events for children and families at the Leeds Inspired website.
Leeds Bradford Airport is set for a standstill as almost 130 workers are set to take industrial action over pay.
If you're planning on catching a flight from Leeds Bradford Airport, then you may want to double check the date.
The Unite members planning on going on strike are a mixture of air traffic control workers, customer experience staff, security staff and cleaners.
The workers involved in the dispute have recently come out of a four-year pay deal, with some of the departments having fallen behind other airports in equivalent roles.
Pay talks have been happening since December 2025, with the airport's formal offer not going far enough to address the lack of pay parity.
Strikes will take place from 03:00 Friday 16 October to 06:00 Sunday 18 October for hourly paid staff and from 06:00 Friday 16 October to 06:00 Sunday 18 October for air traffic control workers.
Strike will mean the entire airport will shut down.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Leeds Bradford Airport is very profitable and can more than afford to come back to the table with an offer that doesn't fall short of our members' expectations.
"Our hardworking members should not be paid less than those doing the same jobs at other airports. Workers taking action at Leeds Bradford Airport have Unite's full support in their fight for fairer pay."
Unite regional officer Neil Whitaker said: "We know people who have flights planned to and from Leeds Bradford Airport will be concerned to hear of industrial action, however our members have no choice but to strike.
"The airport is profitable, passenger numbers are growing and our members are a major part of its success. They deserve a fair pay rise, and management must come back to the table to deliver this."
Leeds pizza shop hailed ‘exceptional’ and ‘best in the UK’ by major reviewer
Clementine Hall
A Leeds pizza takeaway has received a glowing review from popular review duo.
Edges Pizza opened up their first permanent spot in Leeds back in June this year, after making a name for themselves slinging out pizzas at multiple pop-ups across the city.
Owners Grace and Edge from Harrogate opened Edges Pizza two years ago, taking inspiration from trips to New York over the years.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Their pizzas are a love letter to the class New York slice, think thin and crispy rather than chewy and floppy. But above all else, think absolutely delicious.
And now, they've caught the attention of a major review page, with Bite Twice Food Reviews (a page with almost 300k followers) paying Edges a visit.
The food review duo of Gerry del Guercio and Paul Delany popped up in Holbeck beneath the arches to get their hands on a pizza, and the outcome is brilliant.
In the video, Bite Twice said that the pizza is 'f**cking exceptional' and up there with 'one of the best pizzas in the UK'.
Before even taking a bite, they said: "On aesthetic, I don't think anywhere in the UK is doing pizza like this".
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Then after the first bite, they go on to say: "There are very few pizzas in the UK that create this, I’m a little bit blown away".
As Londoners themselves, they go on to say that Edges is 'easily hitting with the best that we’ve got down south'.
And if that's not high praise enough, they sign off the video saying: "Leeds has got an absolute gem. I give this a stamp so hard my foot went through the pizza. Edges. Don Level."
Clementine Hall -
11th October 2022 
