When the clocks change, check your fire alarm

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The clocks change this Sunday, 26th March. The UK will switch to British Summer Time (BST) at 1am on Sunday morning, so we all effectively lose an hour’s sleep. On the plus side, it means that summer is coming and the evenings will get lighter.

Most electronic devices these days (phones, computers) will change the time for you, but you will probably still need to reset clocks, watches and household devices. While you’re doing it, why not take the opportunity to check the batteries in your smoke alarm too?

Statistics show that smoke alarms save lives – but they can only do it if they are in working order. So the clock change is a welcome chance to check up on your early warning system.

You can read more about smoke alarms on the UK Fire Service website.

Headingley bus services consultation

First Bus Leeds are undertaking a review of their services through Headingley, including the 1, 6, 19/19A, 28, 29, 56, 97 and X84. They have stated that they recognise the need for improvements to the reliability and punctuality of these services, particularly given the impact of congestion through Headingley. The outcomes of the review might include changes to the bus routes or frequencies.

They are collecting views on the services via an online survey and at local drop-in events. The Headingley drop-in is at the Heart Centre on Bennett Road, Tuesday 21st March, 16:00-18:30. But if you can’t make that event, there is a list of other nearby times and venues on their website.

Headingley campaigner Penny Goodman said:

I am pleased to see this consultation going ahead, as I know many people locally are frustrated with the current state of the bus services. I would urge all local residents to fill in the survey or attend a drop-in event, to make sure that First Bus really understand what we want from our public transport.

Out on the doorsteps: Right to Stay petition

This weekend the Headingley and Hyde Park Liberal Democrats went door-to-door with the party’s Right to Stay petition. This calls on the government to guarantee the right of EU citizens currently living in the UK to stay here – just as they expected when they came.

We got a great response on the door-steps, with many residents in Headingley and Hyde Park agreeing that it isn’t fair to change the goal-posts on people who have moved here in good faith, or to treat them as bargaining chips in the EU negotiations.

Last week, the House of Lords added an amendment to the current Brexit bill, ensuring that EU citizens do have the right to stay in the UK. But we expect the Tory government to try to take the amendment out again when the bill goes back to the Commons. The signatures which we collected this weekend will help show the strength of public feeling on the issue when our MPs debate it.

You can add your own name to the petition online here.

March surgery

Today, Greg Mulholland is holding his regular MP’s surgery at Sainsburys in the Arndale Centre, Headingley. He will be there from 12.30 to 1.30 p.m. for constituents to raise any issues which they would like his help with. No appointment is needed.

Full details of Greg’s regular constituency surgeries are available here. You can also meet with him by appointment on the third Friday of each month at the Cardigan Centre, Cardigan Road, Headingley.

What a load of rubbish!

Residents in the Granbys have been dismayed to find their rubbish going completely uncollected at least twice this month. Granby Grove, which is a cul-de-sac, has been particularly badly affected. Locals report that bin crews are not driving their collection wagon up this road, or rolling the bins down to the end of it for emptying.

Uncollected rubbish on this scale poses a public health hazard, not to mention making the neighbourhood look ugly and uncared-for. Council officers responded to the problem in early February, but it has now happened again only two weeks later, suggesting a systemic problem with the way the collections are managed.

We would like to know why this has started happening, and what the root problems are. Is Leeds’ Labour-run council really competent to manage our bin services?

Bainbrigge Road pavement swept

Recently, a resident in Bainbrigge Road pointed out to us that the pavement on the north-west side had not been swept since the autumn. We took a look and saw that it was covered in compacted leaf-mulch, making it slippery and dangerous.

We raised this with the council’s Environment team, and they swept the pavement this Sunday. That’s another little job done!

More road-works in Headingley

Just as the current road-works on Headingley Lane are due to finish, a new set are about to start on Grove Lane. The Highway Services department have issued letters to residents living on the route, but Grove Lane is a major through route used by people from all parts of Leeds, and again these works are bound to cause delays due to the use of temporary traffic signals.

We are therefore sharing the information more widely, so that people who use Grove Lane regularly can make plans to use alternative routes while the work is going on. The details are as follows:

HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT SCHEME – GROVE LANE, HEADINGLEY

Opposite 38, outside 65, where the Meanwood Valley Trail crosses the road and the side of 1 – 8 Bridgewater Court

As part of our highway improvement programme we intend to carry out works at the above location. The works will consist of the installation of speed cushions and a junction plateau.

The works are planned to commence on Monday 20th February and will be completed in approximately 2 weeks. The contractor’s working hours will be 09:30 – 15:30 Monday – Friday and temporary two-way signals will be place during these hours. On Sunday 5th March a road closure with signed diversion will be in place between 08:00 and 18:00.

Petition: Right to Stay for EU citizens

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to guarantee the right of EU citizens currently living in the UK to stay here.

These people are our colleagues, friends, family and neighbours, and came here in good faith to live and work.

If you believe they have a right to stay, and that their security should not be used as a bargaining chip in the Brexit negotiations, please sign and share this petition!

Utilities works on Headingley Lane

You may have noticed that Northern Gas Networks have been doing a lot of work around Headingley recently. This is part of a major project to replace their existing metal gas mains with plastic pipes for safety and durability.

Next week, the company will be working on the road just outside the Original Oak on Headingley Lane, and will need to use two-way temporary traffic lights around the work-site. This is bound to mean serious delays on what is already a very congested route, so it is best to be aware of this in advance and make alternative travel plans if possible.

Full information about the project, including contact numbers if you are concerned about the work, can be found here on the Northern Gas Networks website.

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Out on the doorsteps: St. Michael’s area

This weekend, Penny Goodman and the Headingley Liberal Democrat team were out on the doorsteps on the St. Michael’s area. We spoke to residents about their local concerns, and asked them to fill out a survey showing their priorities for the area.

One big issue which came up here was bins, including uncollected ‘side waste’ (extra bags etc. left at the side of full bins) and bins blocking the pavement. We could see the problem for ourselves.

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We will be asking the council to take measures to tackle this.