YEP Letters: March 2

Plans have been unveiled for a £160m skyscraper set to once again alter the Leeds skyline. At more than 33 storeys – making it a rival to Bridgewater Place which at 32 storeys is currently the city’s tallest building – it will have a hotel and apartments plus office space and bar and restaurant. It will also have a swimming pool plus gym and retail facilities all under one roof. Leeds-based property company Parklane has released its vision for INC – a development which it says will be an “inclusive contemporary and flexible” approach to living and working. The proposed development site is on Wellington Street and will be showcased as one of Leeds City Region’s prime investment opportunities at MIPIM – a global property convention being held in Cannes next week.We asked YEP readers for their views and here’s what some of them said on social media..

Neil Beaumont

Better to build upwards on brownfield land than on green belt!

This building will generate wealth and jobs for Leeds and attract national and international business to the city.


Ian Cognito

Leeds doesn’t need another ego-palace. Look at that monstrosity squatting at the end of the M1. Let’s have some civic pride and build less of this over-imposing glass and steel disco lit nonsense.

Stephen Brook

Not another ghastly building of metal and glass. Let me guess, more flats on 100 year leases, with monthly service charges you need a bank loan for and the property company having to licence to print money for 100 years. Single people are being ripped off with these flats, rent, service charge and ground rent. All we are building in the UK are 100 year lease held flats, it’s a racket, a rip off and the big property companies are making hundreds of millions, they won’t build one bedroomed houses because they can’t bleed us dry for a hundred years.

Matthew Lawson

I own a flat with a 100 year lease. It was built in the 1970s. Large tracts of land in north east Leeds are currently being turned onto non lease housing estates. I’m not sure I recognise your premise.

Stephen Priestley

Will Leeds City Council also permit it to be Leeds’ biggest wind tunnel?

Craig Afene Bedford

Maybe it could home people like war vets? No, stupid thought, they’ll keep them on the streets.

Bee Bee

If we could get people off the streets and homed with that money that would be great. Gentrification at its finest.

Lewis Aaron White

I’m really confused why people think it’s the private sector’s responsibility to fix the rough sleepers issue? Do you realise the amount of jobs this will create? If we stopped to invest every penny on every issue out there the entire country would be rough sleepers eventually.

Patricia Gregory

As long as it doesn’t stay empty like so many commercial buildings are.

Tahir Asaf

I think it should get the go ahead and tidy up that part of city centre.

Will be visible on the ring road coming in and out of Leeds.

Michael Duffy

What do people want? It’s good for our local economy, we need to move with the times and build upon our city and building like this will be a common sight so get used to it.

Adam Green

I’m not sure why people think a top spec, prime location building like this would be the place to house rough sleepers! Also very few ever consider the deeper issues involved with rough sleepers, it’s always a throw ‘em in a private sector constructed building and job done!

If they ever actually spoke to these people they’d realise there’s a lot more to most of their stories than just needing a roof over their heads

Reece Reeceyy Platts

Looks mint! There’s about four skyscrapers in the mix, let’s hope they all get the go ahead.

Sally Whiteley

Why does it have to look like it’s from Star Wars, what’s wrong with normal looking buildings that can be built quickly and safely?

David Watson

Oh great, more shops, offices, retail outlets, flats etc. More people unable to park or even get into the city.

John Smeaton

There is no way this will see the light of day. Just another what if artist’s impression to consign to the bin in a few weeks.

Tarquine Gaylord

not one of these buildings reaches the minimum height requirement of a skyscraper which is 150 metres.

The only cities in the UK which currently have skyscrapers and building more are Manchester and London.

It’s a great statement but like most proposals for Leeds they never get past the planning stage.

John Grogan

Certainly looks fantastic!

Stacey Moon

Can it deal with the wind?

Or will this part if Leeds be shut down each time the weather’s bad too ?

Parents’ worries over new app

Steve Oversby, Director Barnardo’s East Region

Facebook’s new Messenger Kids app allows children as young as six to communicate via a tablet or smartphone - either in groups, one-to-one video calls or through text messages and pictures. It is aimed at children under 13.

It has been the subject of controversy in America where it is being trialled with US child health experts raising concerns about its potential risks to children and calling for its withdrawal.

Ahead of its anticipated UK launch, an online YouGov survey for Barnardo’s of 1,000 parents has revealed similar anxieties.

Ninety per cent of parents have concerns about their young children using the app, with 61% worried strangers could pose as their children’s friends and 57% worried their children could be bullied while using the service.

More than half (52%) expressed concern that the app’s security features would not be strict enough to protect their children online and a similar percentage (51%) were concerned children could use it to share inappropriate or explicit images.

Not surprisingly given these reservations 51% would not currently let their child use the app.

Barnardo’s services supporting young people who have been sexually exploited saw a 38% rise in referrals last year.

Our research shows many children who are groomed online are later sexually abused or exploited in the real world.

Barnardo’s is not yet convinced by Facebook’s assertion that controls for the messaging app are stringent.

Not all parents will feel confident or have sufficient knowledge of the technology to keep their children safe when using the app, and we understand it can be hard to spot if a profile is genuine or a potential danger.

As our survey shows, parents are unconvinced there is a need for Messenger Kids, and we urge industry to listen to them.

A trailblazing dementia initiative

Sue Egan, by email

Once again , Leeds and West Yorkshire Playhouse (WYP) are trailblazers!

This time for highlighting what people living with dementia actually do (never say ‘suffering’ if you value your life!)

They are an amazing bunch with a huge range of talents, all determined to live life to the full and eager to share their experiences.

‘Every Third Minute’ is a WYP initiative which explores what life is really like post-diagnosis and how it is not a death sentence but the beginning of a new way of living which is embraced with vigour.

Leeds is a dementia friendly city; now we need to show this by supporting this initiative. Yes, it’s scary, but when were Leeds people ever afraid?

So, come along, have a great time and go away uplifted!

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