Staff in Passport Offices across the country are walking out today in the first of five-weeks planned strike action.
More than 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) at eight Passport Office sites around the UK are walking out as part of a long-running and bitter civil service dispute with the government over jobs, pay, pensions, and working conditions.
It's expected that picket lines will be outside the offices in London, Glasgow, Peterborough, and Newport, as well as at northern bases in Liverpool, Southport, and Durham.
Strikes by Passport Office workers over the next month or so come ahead of the planned nationwide walkout of more than 130,000 civil servants on 28 April - with the PCS union saying that all those taking part in the industrial action will be supported by a strike fund.
The Home Office said more than 2.7 million passport applications have already been processed this year, and confirmed that over 99.7% of standard applications are being processed within the 10-week official guidance period,
The majority of those passport applications were processed and delivered to customers under this timescale, the Home Office said.
Passport Office workers begin five-week strikes over pay and pensions / Credit: PCS Union (via Twitter)
But despite this, news that strike action was to be taken by Passport Office staff has inevitably lead to tourists being warned of expected disruption to passport services throughout the Easter holidays, and other peak Bank Holiday weekends over the next two months.
Ahead of strikes beginning today, PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka says he has written to the government calling for urgent talks in a bid to resolve the dispute, and accused ministers of treating its own employees differently to others in the public sector.
However, nothing has been resolved as of yet.
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Otley is now bidding to become the UK’s first-ever Town of Culture in 2028
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 -
3rd April 2023 
