Agenda item

The report of the Head of Local Partnerships is to provide the Inner West Community Committee with a verbal update on the development of a City Plan for Leeds and to gather input from elected members and residents to feed into the Plan.

(Report attached)

The Head of Locality Partnerships submitted a report that introduced a verbal update on the development of a City Plan for Leeds in the Inner West Community Committee Area and an opportunity for input from elected members and residents to feed into the Plan.

The following were in attendance:

·  Councillor J Dowson, Deputy Executive Member for the Leader’s Portfolio

·  Amy Beswick, Policy Officer

Councillor Dowson gave a brief introduction to the context behind the development of a new City Plan, highlighting the significant changes since the last Best Council Plan was launched ten years ago – locally, nationally, and globally. The Policy Officer set out some of the key ambitions and drivers that will shape the new plan, and then sought feedback from Members on their priorities for Leeds particularly in the Inner West area over the next ten years.

Members discussions included:

·  Education, skills and good quality employment. Members recognised education and training of young people, particularly in the most deprived areas of the city, to be a key issue for Leeds moving forward. It was noted that basic qualifications and literacy attainment were low in the Inner West area causing low esteem, which often act as a barrier to progression for young people in the Inner West The city plan should aim to address the inequalities that are exacerbated by the current education system, by working with partners to increase the variety and accessibility of training and career options to channel passion and ambition in young people with local jobs and opportunities.

·  Whole city approach. Members were supportive of a whole city approach to the plan, recognising that the Council is limited in what it can achieve without the support of local businesses, third sector and other local organisations. Members were of the view that improvements were needed to make small town centres such as Armley to become more prosperous through local business opportunities.

·  Rethinking the City Centre. Members reported that residents of the Inner West often feel disconnected from the city centre, largely due to the lack of public transport options. Related to this, Members felt that the new plan should incorporate a new vision for the city centre following the pandemic, potentially to address the housing shortage not only in providing houses but providing a home. It was acknowledged that in some cases people in the Inner West had a roof over their heads but had no means to furnish them. It was also noted that in the Inner West many families moved on a regular basis due to landlord contracts, which meant that they were unable to gain a sense of community within a local area. Members also reported that many residents on local estates felt neglected. They saw and heard about city centre improvements, however, no improvements had been made to local estates with tired houses and uneven pathways.

·  Health. Members raised concerns at the gap in health inequalities within the Inner West area and whilst trying to embrace and promote wellbeing there was a lack of green spaces and sports fields in the Inner West. It was recognised that the Green Flag Standard for parks had been refreshed, but Members were of the view that much of the investment was to parks in other areas such as Pudsey and Horsforth. It was recognised that the pandemic had magnified the need for green space, particularly in areas with tower blocks such as Kirkstall and Armley.

·  Digital Access. It was hard to be inclusive if you are not online, with many families in deprived areas unable to afford WiFi connection. It was recognised that without digital access communities were unable to engage with conversations and surveys which impacted on their lives.

The Community Committee were advised that a report was to be presented to the Executive Board in October with a draft paper being presented to the State of the City Meeting, with a full report by February 2022.

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report and presentation, along with Member’s comments, be noted.