New £117,000 play area for youngsters
Youngsters in an East Leeds community have been boosted by news that they will soon be treated to a new £117,000 play area.
The Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) will be built at Meadowfield Primary School on Halton Moor Avenue and will be available to children from the whole community as well as the school, who have part-funded the project along with Leeds council and Education Leeds.
The games area will consist of an all-weather surface boasting facilities for a whole range of sports including football, basketball, cricket, tennis and netball. Work is due to begin on-site this month with a projected completion date of the end of August.
Labour Temple Newsam councillor, Mick Lyons, said:
"Facilities like this are so important for the young people in the area as they give them a safe and secure space where they can put their minds and energy into sports and games"I would like to thank everyone involved in the project, especially Meadowfield Primary School, who have agreed to part-fund the project and share it with children from other schools in the area."
Total cost of project is £117,403, including £71,017 from Council Youth Capital Fund; £30,000 from Meadowfield Primary School and £16,380 from Education Leeds.
Otley to benefit from transformation
Otley town centre is set to be transformed this summer as £58,000 worth of enhancement work finally gets the go-ahead.
Liberal Democrat Otley and Yeadon councillors Colin Campbell, Ryk Downes and Graham Kirkland helped secure what are the latest in a series of improvements to the town centre.
In August York stone will be used to resurface the area outside the parish church and repairs will be carried out on pedestrian surfaces on Bondgate and Kirkgate. As well as helping to create a more visible crossing point at the entrance to Mercury Row, the project will also involve laying special surfaces for loading areas.
It is hoped that the resurfacing, combined with the recent installation of new heritage lights and work to the market place, will provide long term benefits for both traders and shoppers.
Campbell said:
"We've already secured new heritage lighting and work to the market place in Otley - so we're delighted to finally get a start date for this extra improvement work.
"This is about investing in the long-term future of Otley. The town already provides shoppers with a unique retail experience. I hope these extra developments will make that experience even better."
Improved fostering rating welcomed
Shadow spokesperson for children's services, councillor Alan Lamb, has welcomed an Ofsted report that has seen the authority's fostering services receiving a 'good' rating.
Following an inspection last month, the latest Ofsted report stated that the council's fostering service is "a strong service that provides good outcomes for children."
Conservative councillor Lamb, who up until May was Lead Member for Children's Services, has warned the new Labour administration not to take their foot of the gas in the coming months in light of the improved ranking.
Lamb said:
"From personal experience, I know how hard both officers and politicians from the previous Administration worked to improve fostering services after the bitterly disappointing rating back in 2009.
"I just hope that the political will and determination is there from the current administration to build on this hard work as a return to the standards of 2009 really would be a travesty for the children of this city."
Tyersal park play area revamp
Tyersal Park has been boosted by news that its children's play area is set to undergo a re-vamp thanks to a combination of local funding and money from the National Lottery.
The park already sports a football pitch, bowling green and tennis courts. An existing children's playground but will now be replaced with new, modern facilities as a result of funding from the council's Area Committee Wellbeing Fund and the Big Lottery Fund.
The new play area will consist of new play equipment aimed at younger children, along with seating and picnic areas, litter bins, plants and shrubbery. Work is to get underway shortly and is hoped to be completed by early next month.
Pudsey Labour councillor Richard Lewis said:
"The park is one of only a few recreation facilities in the area and it is therefore important that the facilities that are provided are of a high standard. With a projected completion date during the school summer holidays, the timing of this project couldn't be better."
Notes to Editor:
The total cost of scheme is £100,000: £80,000 from the Big Lottery Fund and £20,000 from the West Outer Area Committee Well-Being Fund.
Wetherby bandstand music programme
Thanks to a £900 donation from local councillors, visitors to Wetherby's riverside bandstand this summer can make the most of a great programme of music performed by bands from across the region.
The Wetherby ward councillors are sponsoring six of the 15 bands to the tune of £150 each for the summer schedule of performances at the bandstand.
Since the bandstand was built in 2000, thanks to the fundraising and volunteering efforts of the Wetherby Riverside Bandstand Trust, a charitable trust established to manage the bandstand. The summer music programme, which sees a band play each Sunday afternoon between 2.30 and 4.30, has become a great draw for locals and visitors to the historic town alike.
Councillor Alan Lamb said:
"I'm keen for Wetherby to be an inviting place for tourists to visit and these performances, from bands from across the region, help to put the town on the map as a wonderful place to come and spend some time, which ultimately benefits everyone in Wetherby."
Find out more about Leeds council and its councillors over at Openly Local.
What do you think? Have your say in the comments section below.
