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.

side-waste

bins-on-pavement

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

Focus stories: Headingley Post Office update

Thanks to everyone who backed our Save Headingley Post Office campaign.

Since the Post Office announced they would be closing the branch and moving it into a shop, Penny Goodman and Greg Mulholland started the Save Headingley Post Office petition and wrote to the Post Office to demand that it stays open to properly serve the needs of residents. The Post Office have failed to find a shop that will take a counter, so we are calling on them maintain a proper branch with a full range of services.

Penny said:

They are saying that they intend to move the post office into another store, such as a shop or business. We all know what this actually means – the lack of a dedicated post office and a substantial reduction in services.

Greg added:

It is very disappointing that the future of such a vital community asset remains in limbo and we will continue to do everything we can to save it. We will continue to campaign and push the Post Office to retain the branch and the services that hundreds of people use every day.

Placards and petitions

Focus stories: Our fight to retain academic funding post-referendum

Research funding and ERASMUS at risk after Brexit vote

The outcome of the EU referendum has put at risk the UK’s access to European funding for research and study abroad.

In Leeds, this could have a serious impact on the work our universities do and the opportunities available to local students. The University of Leeds currently gets nearly 16% of its research income from European funding, supporting projects from developing better artificial joints to designing environmentally-friendly aircraft. It also sends hundreds of its students abroad each year on the popular Erasmus+ scheme.

The Liberal Democrats are fighting to safeguard the vital scientific research and opportunities for young people which EU funding has supported until now. At the recent Liberal Democrat conference, party members unanimously supported a motion calling on the government to protect both.

Local Liberal Democrat campaigner Penny Goodman lives in Headingley and works at the University of Leeds.

Penny said:

I feel very strongly about this issue, and made a point of attending Liberal Democrat conference this year so that I could vote for the motion. The research carried out in UK universities generates jobs, improves lives and keeps our country competitive. In the same way, sending our young people to study or work abroad gives them the skills, experience and international outlook which today’s employers are looking for. Now we know the outcome of the referendum, it is in all of our interests to protect these activities for the future.

In November, Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder presented a petition to the European Parliament to save the Erasmus+ scheme for British students.

Mega-pub licence refused

The news came on Friday that an application to turn the former Elinor Lupton Centre into a licensed premises serving 500+ customers at a time has been refused. The full story is covered here in the Yorkshire Evening Post.

This is welcome news, given how strongly local people have objected to turning the Elinor Lupton Centre into a mega-pub. Headingley is already very well-provided with licensed premises, and the council has recognised their negative impact on local people through the Cumulative Impact Policy. This establishes a presumption against adding any new pubs to the area, and it is good to see that the policy was respected on this occasion.

Meanwhile, the building itself is now in an appalling state, and getting worse by the day. Local campaigner Penny Goodman has called on Wetherspoons, who now own the building, to take responsibility for its current condition and clean up the graffiti which is plastered all over it – but they refused. This is a Grade II listed building which could be a huge asset to our community. We can only hope that a positive use for the building, which respects the needs and interests of local people, can be found soon.

Elinor Lupton 1

Planning permission refused on Victoria Road

We were very pleased to hear the news on Friday that an application to build a 262-bed student accommodation block on the Victoria Road playing field (formerly owned by Leeds Girls High School) has been refused. This application was totally inappropriate in an area which is already very densely populated, but has no public playing fields or exercise facilities, and where local schools don’t have enough space for their pupils to play team sports.

Greg Mulholland welcomed the news, and congratulated local residents’ groups on their opposition to the proposal.

Headingley campaigner Penny Goodman said:

“As a local resident I am so pleased to hear that this development will not be going ahead. I objected to this application when it was first submitted, and was surprised that an appeal was even allowed on the original decision, given how obviously unsuitable the plans were for our area.

I have been really impressed with the support shown by the local community for investing in this site to turn it into a proper sports facility. Now that this latest attempt to build on the playing field has been turned down, I hope and trust that Leeds City Council will support the local community in turning that vision into a reality.”

Victoria Road 1

Out on the doorsteps: Ashes and Derwentwaters

Headingley Liberal Democrats have been out on the doorsteps in the Ashes and Derwentwaters this weekend, asking residents ‘A Penny for your thoughts’.

2016-10-01 14.36.03

Residents raised some serious concerns about parking in Ash Crescent in particular, and we also picked up a lot of interest in having better recycling facilities. In this area of Headingley, of course, household recycling facilities are offered on an opt-in only basis.

We will now be working on the issues raised, and reporting back to residents soon.

Headingley Stronger IN Europe

Penny Goodman joined a team from Britain Stronger IN Europe yesterday evening outside the Headingley Arndale Centre. Together, they handed out flyers and talked to local people on their way home about the benefits of staying in the EU.

Britain IN Headingley

Penny said:

For me, being in the EU is about working together with our neighbours instead of putting up barriers between us. The practical benefits of easier trading, easier travel, and being able to cooperate on issues like climate change and cross-border crime speak for themselves. But fundamentally it is about being open, collaborative and internationalist – not isolated and inwards-looking.

Thank you!

Headingley Liberal Democrats would like to thank everyone who voted for Penny Goodman in the local election on Thursday, and the fantastic campaign team who supported her.

Sadly, Penny was not elected, but her vote share went up by 6 percentage points, from 12.4% in 2015 to 18.7% this time – a real testament to all her hard work over the last year.

The full details are in the table below, for local politics geeks!

Results spreadsheet

Beyond Headingley, the overall Liberal Democrat vote share across Leeds also went up, and the Liberal Democrats have proven the biggest winners in the local council elections across England. These are the overall results currently showing on the BBC’s local election coverage page, with 122 of 124 council election counts now completed.

BBC overall results

We will be back out on the streets of Headingley again soon, listening to local views and working for the community. But for this weekend, we think we have earnt a pint!

Veritas after the count smaller

Vote Penny Goodman on May 5th!

Elections to Leeds city council are taking place on Thursday May 5th. Our candidate for Headingley is Penny Goodman.

Penny lives locally on Grove Lane, and has been working hard all year, speaking to residents, helping with local issues and campaigning for Headingley. But she can do so much more if she is elected to the council on May 5th.

These ten pictures show what Penny has already done for Headingley, and what she is campaigning for now. Just click on any picture for more information about her work.

Penny’s fight for better broadband

Broadband providers offer super-fast speeds when you sign your contract, but residents in Headingley and Hyde Park have told local campaigner Penny Goodman that they are not getting what they were promised.

People feel let down by their providers. Many residents and students are having problems completing even simple tasks like downloading music or completing assignments.

Broadband problems
Penny Goodman doesn’t think people should be paying for a service they aren’t receiving, so she ran a petition in the Headingley and Hyde Park areas to show the scale of the problem. In some streets, almost every household signed up to call for a better service.

Penny has now written to the major broadband providers, calling on them to investigate the problem, and to put in better infrastructure so that everyone gets the service they were promised. The good news is that Virgin Media have now responded, and have agreed that there are congestion problems in the LS6 1** postcode area in particular.

Virgin Media will now be working to improve the infrastructure in this area, and are also urging all customers affected to call their technical support line on 150 (free from a Virgin Media land line) or 0345 454 1111. This will provide a clearer picture of the problems across the area as a whole, as well as allowing them to help customers on an individual basis.

You can still add your name to the petition here.

Headingley & Hyde Park Liberal Democrats

Brandon Ashford and the Lib Dem team – working hard for Headingley and Hyde Park all year round.