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Headway (issue 16) - April 2006
Click here to read the latest edition of Headway.
Issue #16
News on the way we're heading in & around Headingley April 2006
Headway aims to let local residents know which way we're heading in & around Headingley. Local community associations have got together
to share & circulate information – Cardigan Triangle, Far Headingley, Heal Headingley, Headingley Network, Kirkstall Village, Moor Parks, North
Hyde Park, South Headingley & Turnways. We'd be pleased if other associations joined us. Everyone is invited to send us any news that
matters to Headingley. Headway is an initiative of Leeds HMO Lobby, the collective campaigning for local housing balance.
Here's how it works: Latest news will be published on an ongoing basis on the Message Board of the Heal Headingley website. The printed
version of Headway will come out every quarter. Anyone is welcome to send us items for either or both of these. Anyone is welcome to be on
the mailing list. Let us know if you are online, and we can deliver Headway by email. See back page for contact details.
A New Season ...
Spring brings with it the green shoots of new developments ...
Licensing of HMOs in Leeds
On 6 April, thousands of HMOs in Leeds (houses in multiple occupation, or shared houses) become subject to licensing. Leeds has more HMOs than any other town – and most of them are in Headingley and surrounding communities like Meanwood, Woodhouse, Hyde Park, Little Woodhouse, Burley, Kirkstall and West Park. This concentration of HMOs has had a
massively destructive impact on these communities. This is why Leeds HMO Lobby was set up six years ago, following the government's consultation on licensing of HMOs. Year after year, we lobbied for legislation, until the government introduced a Bill in 2003, which became the Housing Act 2004, requiring councils to license HMOs. Now at last licensing is coming into effect.
It certainly won't solve our problems, and it doesn't even apply to all HMOs – but it is a significant step forward. First of all, the Act defines a HMO as any house with three or more occupants who aren't a single family, thus including all shared housing. Only the largest of these will need a licence – those with three or more storeys (counting attics and basements) and five or more people (who aren't a family). But this will cover most HMOs in & around Headingley. Then again, licensing will reduce the number of
HMOs – landlords have to be fit & proper, and so do their properties, so this will get rid of some. And the extra hassle will put off more (not to mention students' parents). Finally, there will be a Public Register of all licences issued – so we will know who's responsible for each licensed HMO.
Landlords have three months to apply for a licence. After that, they become liable for a fine of up to 20,000. From July, the Lobby will be supporting residents to make sure all eligible HMOs are licensed. The Housing Act also enables councils to license all the additional HMOs. The Lobby has already campaigned to License the Lot – the Council has agreed to consider this next year, once compulsory licensing is under way, and our Area Committee supports the proposal. (It's also in the interest of the universities and their students – we hope they will offer their support.) So, April sees a new season for
HMOs in Leeds!
Leeds HMO Lobby
Area of Housing
Mix
Meanwhile, on 10 April, the last round of consultation on Leeds Unitary Development Plan closes. The UDP is the grand strategic plan for the whole city, and the Council began a review in 2002. Leeds HMO Lobby took the opportunity to press for a
plan which addressed the imbalance of the community by HMOs in Headingley and the surrounding areas of Meanwood, Woodhouse, Hyde Park, Little Woodhouse, Burley, Kirkstall and West Park. The first draft of the Revised
UDP (2003) included the well-known proposal for ASHORE (Area of Student Housing Restraint), covering most of these areas. The Lobby supported this and proposed reinforcements in the Second Draft and the Public Inquiry in 2004. Last year the Council
received the Report from the Inquiry Inspector.
He agreed 'that the population overall is out of balance and that action is needed to ensure a sustainable community.' He suggested three things, l an Area of Housing Mix (AHoM, instead of ASHORE), l an enlargement of the Area (as we suggested), and l a stronger policy to disperse student housing. The Council has accepted these proposals, and they have been
available for comment since February. As a draft policy, ASHORE was effective – AHoM can
be equally effective. The Revised UDP, including AHoM, is not yet finally adopted – but
a new season of planning controls is emerging.
Leeds HMO Lobby
Springtime for Headingley
Spring sees several of the Headingley Renaissance proposals coming into effect.
Headingley Renaissance
Headingley Renaissance was produced by the Central Headingley Strategy Group, and published last year. It's now available online at www.headingley.leedslearning.org (though it's a large file). It includes sixty proposals for reviving
Central Headingley, some of which are now under way. In particular the Headingley Town
Centre Improvement Scheme (if approved) will bring major improvements for pedestrians.
Headingley Development Trust
The Trust now has over 200 members! If you have friends or neighbours who have not yet joined please encourage them to do so. We aim to have 500 members by our first AGM. Meanwhile, the Trust has put together a detailed business proposal for the use of the Headingley Primary School buildings, which we are asking Leeds City Council to consider. Other projects are also under way. The Trust plans to set up a small Deli Fair of perhaps six or seven stalls, operating at least once a month in Headingley.
There are plans for a Caf Scientifique, mixing a bit of socialising with 'mind-stretching' discussion, possibly based at the New
Headingley Club. And the Trust has been considering how it might intervene in relation to housing issues in order to change the profile of housing and encourage families to come back into Headingley. If you want to know more, or if
you are interested in getting involved with any of these projects, contact Lesley Jeffries (274
1011) or Jane Williams (274 2763) or email info@headingleydevelopmenttrust.org.uk or visit
the website at www.headingleydevelopmenttrust.org.uk/
Lesley Jeffries, HDT
Public Drinking Ban
Following widespread local support, a new Designated Public Places Order now makes it a criminal offence to consume intoxicating liquor in Central Headingley. The Order came into effect at the end of March, and the designated public
place extends down the A660 from Woodie's pub to North Grange Road.
Letting Boards
The first phase of the new Letting Boards Codebegan in January, and since March the full Code has been in force. It extends from St Anne's Road down to Brudenell Road. The main points are that Boards should be l smaller, l mostly
black-and-white, l flat to the house wall, l only one per building, and l normally only one per agent per street. All responsible landlords are following the Code, and it's supported by Leeds Property Association. But some landlords andagents are ignoring the Code, and so the Council has begun prosecutions. For details &
map, contact Andrew Crates, tel 247 8027,
email Andrew.Crates@leeds.gov.uk
The New Headingley Club
Ask most people where the New Headingley Club (previously the Headingley Royal British Legion Club) is and the
answer will invariably be "never heard of it".
Although there has been a club on the same premises for thirty years, few people seem aware of it. Like other clubs, we are now finding times difficult. Being surrounded by student accommodation has meant that ordinary
Headingley folk are few and far between: to survive we need members from the locality who
will use the club, year on year. We are a small private club standing in its own grounds on St.
Michael's Road. The atmosphere is quiet, friendly, non-intimidating, with a lounge where
you can simply enjoy a quiet chat and drink at reasonable prices (quite different from the now
typical Headingley bars). We have a games room with snooker, darts and dominoes, and a
room which can be booked by members for private functions. We welcome membership
applications from all long-term residents of Headingley. For details, contact the Club at 56
St Michael's Road, Leeds LS6 3BG.
David Blackburn, New Headingley Club
Planning Decisions
Since Christmas, Plans Panel West has approved & refused various applications for dormers, extensions and flats. It's approved
two new property agencies, and applications for new signage and frontages for shops in Central Headingley.
Information from Leeds City Council web site (www.leeds.gov.uk > Speed Link: Planning Applications).
New planning applications in the area are published every Thursday in the Yorkshire
Evening Post and every month on the Heal Headingley website.
Studentification
Studentification is what happens when student housing upsets the balance of a community. Leeds HMO Lobby defines it as 'the substitution of a local community by a student community.' It's now being tackled nationally &
locally.
'Studentification' is the title of a new Report on the impact of student housing on communities. It was supported by the
government and carried out by Universities UK (the national association of universities). So the Report is at last an official recognition of the problem. The Report says 'It is incontrovertible that the negative effects of 'studentification' are evident in several towns and cities across the UK.' It goes on to suggest 47 actions that councils and universities can take.
(Unfortunately, it fudges the description of what studentification is. And it fails to address the key issue, the need for new planning controls over HMOs.)
'Students & Communities Revisited' is the title of a conference due to take place in Nottingham on 12 May. It's being organised by Unipol (the third on this theme) and it follows up the conference in Leeds in 2004. Councils & communities, universities & students will be there, to report and debate the latest developments in tackling studentification.
Further info will be available on the Unipol website at www.unipol.leeds.ac.uk
Student Housing Group The Student Housing Group (re-named Shared Housing Group), representing all parties concerned, was re-established shortly before Christmas. It has been meeting since then, and a year after the original Group ceased, it has
now produced a revised Shared Housing Action Plan (SHAP2), with 27 action-points to tackle
the problems caused by concentrations of student housing in Inner NW Leeds. Meanwhile,
a city-wide Student Housing Strategy is also in preparation, to attempt to manage student
housing to the benefit of all concerned.
Students in the City
This January in the new tabloid newspaper Housing 2006, Unipol was able to give, for the first time ever, a full breakdown of 21 residential areas of Leeds that may interest future student residents. This information has been widely welcomed by students and members of the local community and, hopefully, will add to more flexibility in living destination from a betterinformed
set of students. So far, not a negative comment has been received from those who
really know, and live in those areas. As ever, this piece of work was only possible by pooling
resources and adopting a partnership approach, with local community members and Leeds HMO
Lobby playing an important part itself, along with the Council, students' unions, Re'new and the
University of Leeds. The new area information is now on the web, at
www.unipol@leeds.uk/wheretolive Paper copies can be requested by phone on 0113 243 0169 option1. Unipol is producing a new leaflet based on this information and coupling it with "living in the community" updated advice, together with contact addresses for community groups around Leeds. This new leaflet, again produced in partnership with the community
itself, should appear in May. The rash of new build accommodation is forcing students to really think about where they want to live and what they can afford. The traditional "all students live in Headingley" approach is coming
to an end. Any comments on this info would be welcomed and can be sent to
l.hodgen@unipol.leeds.ac.uk
Martin Blakey, Unipol
Community Code
Two years ago, the Lobby proposed a Community Code, which was agreed by all concerned. It says simply l Say Hello l Keep the peace l Clean up. It's good to see the Code promoted, not only in Unipol's Housing tabloid, but also in Leeds Met's guide to
Accommodation 2006.
Unfortunately ...
Leeds University has followed up its sale of land in Grosvenor Road with the sale of Tetley Hall in Far Headingley. It went on the market in March as 'student accommodation.' Again, the University failed to prepare a Development Brief, with local consultation (unlike Leeds Girls High School).
Over-run by Students This will be literally the case on 30 April, when Leeds Met puts on a 'Great Student Run' and thousands will run from Headingley into town and back again. Once again, Gridlock Sunday will strike (not to mention the after-Run parties). And to add insult to injury, local residents are excluded from the Run, which is 'students-only'. They couldn't
be bothered to talk to residents. Nice one, Leeds Met, another wedge between students and the community.
Neighbourhood News
Little Woodhouse Community Forum meets at 7pm on 3 April in the Civic Hall. Freda Matthews, LWCA Car Park on Woodhouse Moor? The Council plans to build a car park on Cinder
& Monument Moors on Woodhouse Moor (the first public park in Leeds). But none of the local community associations has been consulted (LWCA, NHPNA, SHCA) - so they have formed
the Friends of Woodhouse Moor, and on 5 April, a deputation is to present its concerns to the next meeting of the Council. Is the car park for users of the Moor? Is it for commuters? Will it ease on-street parking around the University?
Surely a better solution would be a Residents' Parking Zone? Will it change a green space into
possible building land? Work is estimated to cost 170,000 - with money from the Parks
Renaissance Scheme! Protest to the Leader of the Council, Cllr Andrew Carter, 15 Clarke
Street, Calverley, Pudsey LS28 5NH, email Andrew.Carter@leeds.gov.uk
Bill McKinnon, LWCA
Leeds Girls High School Work is still under way on the Development Brief for the School site, for public consultation.
Headingley Network Our next Quarterly Meeting is at 7.30pm on Monday 24 April at
Headingley Community Centre.
Lesley Jeffries, Headingley Network
South Headingley Community Association Our AGM is at 7.30pm on Tuesday 16 May at the Cardigan Centre.
Sue Buckle, SHCA
Celebrate Headingley: Open Gardens. About ten gardens will be open this year, on Sunday 18 June. Tickets will cost 3, available from Oxfam as last year. Look out for posters in the Library and other places closer to the time.
Janet Douglas, Celebrate Headingley
Kirkstall Festival Just to remind you the 26th Annual Kirkstall Festival is on Saturday 8 July in the grounds of Kirkstall Abbey. There's lots of attractions and lots to do. If you would like a stall or to take part in any way, please contact
John on Leeds 2785987. Hope to see you all on the 8 July!
John Liversedge, KVCA
Far Headingley Village Society Our Neighbourhood Design Statement's ideas for a new Conservation Area in West Park and an enlargement of that in Far Headingley are to be realised. Our consultant Peter Baker has been
re-engaged to assist the Design Statement Steering Group prepare Conservation Area
appraisals, which will soon be available for public scrutiny and, hopefully, formal
endorsement by Leeds City Council.
David Hall, FHVS
Highburys Planning Battles
Four planning applications submitted in the Highburys area proposed housing on valuable open spaces - so Highbury RA organised a campaign to resist them on the grounds that they would be highly detrimental to the local
community and wildlife. Our campaign to retain the character and green nature of our area has some good news. Council Planning Officers have rejected the Sandfield House and Jackson
Field applications, and St. Chad's has withdrawn the Mission Field application. Thank you for your support! The St Oswald's application has been slightly modified and resubmitted but would still result in excavation of the Mission Field for a parking court (26/676/05/FU). We need fellow activists to object to this application on the grounds that it still proposes to excavate
Urban Green Corridor land.
Graham Mann, Highburys RA
Local Elections Council elections take place on 4 May. Leeds HMO Lobby will invite all parties who are fielding candidates in
Headingley Ward to outline their main concerns.
Their statements will be posted on the Heal Headingley website, www.healheadingley.org.uk
Contact Headway by email at hmolobby@hotmail.com. To join your local association, for Headingley Network (central Headingley) contact
Lesley Jeffries (tel: 274 1011), for South Headingley contact Sue Buckle (tel: 278 2296), for North Hyde Park contact Chris Webb (tel: 275
1030), for Far Headingley contact Donald Hood (tel: 275 5575), for Kirkstall contact John Liversedge (tel: 278 5987), for Moor Parks contact
Kate Henshall (tel: 274 1550), for Cardigan Triangle contact Bill Rollinson (tel: 274 3353).
Keep up-to-date by checking the Message Board on Heal Headingley's website at www.HealHeadingley.org.uk. Anyone can add items of
interest to long-term residents to the Message Board. Internet access is provided free at Headingley Library, where help is available if needed.
Headway is also available online at www.HealHeadingley.org.uk/headway
Headway is published by Leeds HMO Lobby, c/o Cardigan Centre, 145 Cardigan Road, Leeds LS6 1LJ, website www.hmolobby.org.uk/leeds, it is supported by the North West (Inner) Area Committee, covering Headingley, Hyde Park & Woodhouse, Kirkstall and Weetwood,
and it is printed on recycled paper by Edwin Harmer, 67a Raglan Road, Leeds LS2 9DZ
The next issue of Headway is due to be published in July 2006.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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