Your Leeds local election 2018 A to Z: Farnley and Wortley

THE CANDIDATESBlackburn, Ann - Green Party Blackburn, David - Green Party Flynn, Dorothy - Conservative Party Gibson, Matt - Labour Party Haley, Stuart James - Green Party Hardcastle, John Richard - Conservative Party McKenna, Andrea Susan - Labour Party Melia, Sam - The For Britain Movement Nancolas, Hayley Laura - Conservative Parnham. Andy - Labour Spencer, Rosemary Claire - LiB DEMS

Farnley and Wortley - Key issues and numbers

The cleaning up of Farnley Reservoir is something that has been a talking point for voters in Farnley and Wortley in recent months.

Locals want to see the spot - already popular with bird watchers - dredged out and to be opened up as a family-friendly beauty spot.

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The YEP has been told that talks have been ongoing with the water company about this, and some progress has been made.

“It’s a focal point and we want it to look nice,” one candidate on the campaign trail said.

The knock-of effect in Wortley of matchday parking at Leeds United has also been an ongoing issue of concerns for locals. We reported earlier that families living near the club’s Elland Road stadium were angry over the scrapping of a matchday residents’ parking scheme designed to stop football fans’ cars clogging up their streets. The YEP understands some progress has been made there too, and double yellow lines will now be put at the Dragon pub on Whitehall Road, but it’s an issue that will still crop up again and again on the doorstep.

The Farnley and Wortley ward takes in a large number of council homes, but the population is fairly mixed, with large number of working-class families and a more affluent community on the New Farnley side, where there is lots of new housing,

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Regeneration is high on the agenda in the ward. One of the recent success stories is the conversion of the former Gamecock pub into a number of retail units. However many derelict buildings remain, and have become a focus of anti-social behaviour. There is a growing concern that older buildings have been bought up by developers, often with planning permission, but nothing is happening on site. There are examples in the Fawcett Lane area as well as a former school site, which has been targeted by vandals. Electors will want to see their councillor candidates show a willingness to put pressure on developers.