The most significant item on the agenda for the meeting on the 10th December 2024 was the response to the council's ‘Leeds Streets for All’ consultation. Councillors were also provided with a report that listed requests for funding from the Outer East Community Committee's Wellbeing, Youth Activity, Capital and Community Infrastructure Levy budgets.

Leeds Streets for All consultation - Public Responses

Councillors were provided with a report that summarised the 665 responses that Leeds City Council received from the public about transport in the Outer East area, which comprises the wards of Cross Gates & Whinmoor, Garforth & Swillington, Kippax & Methley, and Temple Newsam.

The report divides the responses into 5 themes:

• Vehicles and Parking (50% of responses)
• Cycling (18% of responses)
• Wheeling and Walking (20% of responses)
• Street Environment (8% of responses)
• Accessing Bus Stops and Rail Stations (4% of responses)

The report identifies the most frequent concerns raised by the public in each of the themes, and then goes on to describe existing and planned work to improve the streets for everyone in the Outer East.

One of the key outputs of the report is a list of potential transport improvement schemes in the Outer East. These are summarised in a table and a map, and include things like new pedestrian crossings and cycle parking. The report notes that these improvements:

...can only be developed as funding opportunities become available

Outer East Community Committee Finance Report

Councillors were asked to consider requests for funding for twelve local projects from the four budgets they manage.

Wellbeing Revenue Fund

The largest of the budgets presented to Councillors was the Wellbeing Revenue Fund, which had £84,250.74 available to spend in 2024/25. Councillors were asked to consider allocating funding from this budget to eleven projects, including:

• Provision of grit bin refills across the Outer East
• A Football World Fun Day
• A programme of Community Engagement activities
• The Kippax Gala
• Summer holiday programmes in partnership with Leeds Rhinos

Youth Activities Fund

Councillors were asked to note that £40,375.00 had been allocated to the Youth Activities Fund.

Capital Budget

Councillors were asked to note that £77,994.12 was available to spend from the Capital Budget, and to approve a request for £5,000 to fund improvements to Blands Recreation Ground in Kippax.

Community Infrastructure Levy Budget

The report notes that £270,268.61 is available to be spent from the Community Infrastructure Levy. Councillors were asked to note that the following projects had already been approved:

• Provision of grit bin refills across the Outer East
• The Christmas lights switch-on events in Garforth and on Austhorpe Road in Cross Gates
• Security fencing for Great Preston Cricket Club

Outer East Community Committee - Update Report

Councillors were provided with an update on the work of the council's Safer Stronger Communities Team.

The report included information about the Youth Activity Fund Consultation Survey, which asks children and young people aged 8-17 across Leeds to give their views on what activities the council should fund.

Councillors were also provided with a report on incidents captured on CCTV cameras in the Outer East, and an update from West Yorkshire Police, including a summary of the crime statistics for the Outer East. Finally, the report included information on the Outer East Community Committee's social media activity.