Issue #17
News on the way we're heading in & around Headingley July 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, Highburys, 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.

Summer in the City, 2006
Local residents celebrate their communities!

July: KIRKSTALL FESTIVAL, Kirkstall Abbey, Saturday 8 July 2006
On behalf of the 2006 Festival Committee I would like to invite you all to our 26th annual Kirkstall Festival, in the beautiful grounds of Kirkstall Abbey. All the renovation work at the Abbey is now complete
and the new visitor centre is now open to the public. The Festival takes place on Saturday 8 July, open for the public at 10.30am and finishing at 5.30. We have a full programme of events, too many to mention them all here. There will be the Older Active People's Tea Dance in the Marquee, upwards of ninety assorted
stalls, a pipe and drum band from Tyne & Weir, performances and displays in the Cloisters, performers
and music at points all over the grounds all day. At 4pm a lone piper will call people to the Abbey
Churches Together Festival Service, this year the new Archdeacon of Leeds, the Ven. Peter Burrows,
will give the address, John Battle MP will give the reading and we will have a festival choir of children
from all the local primary schools. Music is provided by the Morley Salvation Army Band. All in all it
should be a wonderful day of fun and relaxation for all the family, so don't miss it! There is no admission
charge, but do please buy a programme as this goes a long way to funding our festival!
John Liversedge, Kirkstall Festival

August: UNITY DAY, Woodhouse Moor, Saturday 5 August 2006
Hyde Park Unity Day is organising another 'World Focus Event' on Saturday 5 August. The team comprises
local artists and volunteers, some have had experience of playing a big crowd, some not so big, some have taken part in co-ordinating such an event, some are just seeing what they can bring in terms of enthusiasm and willingness. Enthusiasm is the key factor as Unity Day is our window on which the rest of the City can judge how vibrant and alive our community is. Unity Day takes place in the summer when the area is
taking a well-earned break from the 60,000 young visitors we host every year. Some stay on and join in the planning/co-ordinating and some return to enjoy the day but all are welcome. 'World Focus' - bring it on! We have the best of what this country has to offer when harnessed, so we need volunteers and businesses who identify with the ethos of Unity Day to sponsor time, money and energy to making 2006 another true day of Unity.
Amit Roy, Hyde Park Unity Day

September: CELEBRATE HEADINGLEY, Central Headingley, Friday-Sunday 8-10 September 2006Celebrate Headingley is focussed on the weekend of 8-10 September. Citrus kicks off on Friday evening with poetry and an exhibition of paintings. Saturday sees a brass band in the Rose Garden in the morning, the traditional cream teas & stalls & displays in the Methodist Hall, music in the Parish Hall (with tea dance),
and a concert at the College of Music in the afternoon, and a ceilidh in the evening in the Parish Hall. Meanwhile, there will be more displays and events in the Library and the Community Centre. On Sunday afternoon, there's a history walk at Beckett's Park, a barbecue at the New Headingley Club, and in
the evening, more poetry at Citrus. For details & updates, see the website
< www.headingleynetwork.org.uk> Look out for publicity in September! See also, the Flower Festival all this weekend
Lesley Jeffries, Celebrate Headingley


Heading Home
Three current initiatives are heading Headingley towards a place we can really call home.
Shared Housing Action Plan Back in 2001, in response to pressure from the community (like HEAL and Leeds HMO Lobby) the Council set up a special Group to deal with student housing problems, with representatives from Council depts, the universities, the students, the landlords – and of course, the community. In 2002, the Group adopted an Action Plan. Now, prompted by community reps, this Plan has been updated, as the Shared Housing Action Plan (SHAP2). It's made up of 27 action-points. The first set are all to do with housing – especially developing a city-wide student housing strategy, and rebalancing Headingley & surrounding communities. The second set of actions are concerned with the effects of the imbalance – noise, crime, discipline, cleansing, letting boards, parking, gardens, economy, pubs, etc. The final set are all to do with monitoring progress, and reviewing & updating SHAP2. The Shared Housing Group is now setting target outcomes for next year, for each action (details are available from Leeds HMO Lobby).

Leeds HMO Licensing
The Housing Act 2004 redefined houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and made licensing of larger HMOs compulsory. As reported in the last Headway, this licensing came into effect in April, and landlords had three months to get in their applications. From July, any owner of a liable HMO (professional or parent, student or not) is now liable to a £20,000 fine if they have
not applied. There are in fact thousands who need to do so, and so it will take the Council some time to process them all (especially as most landlords have left it to the last minute).
As licences are issued, they will be put on a Public Register. So, in due course, we will be able to check whether neighbouring HMOs are licensed. Leeds HMO Lobby is preparing a special Notification, to report unlicensed HMOs.
And next year, the Council will consider extending licensing to all HMOs in our area.

Area of Housing Mix
Leeds' present Unitary Development Plan (UDP) was adopted in 2001. It is the grand plan which guides planning policy throughout the city – such as student housing. Almost straight away, the Council began Leeds UDP Review - including, in response to community lobbying, a review of student housing policy. The ASHORE (Area of Student Housing Restraint) policy came out of this (and has become nationally famous).
In the course of the Review, as a result of a Public Inquiry, ASHORE has been replaced by AHoM (Area of Housing Mix) – now student housing development which needs planning permission, will be allowed only if it does not make the housing mix worse. Council and community would have liked a stronger policy,
but we are restricted by the government and planning laws. The Revised UDP will be adopted by the Council in July.

Heading Home
So, three sets of public policies are heading Headingley in the right direction. At the same time, the housing market itself is 'heading home.' Purpose-built student developments are relieving demand for student second-homes in & around Headingley. The commercial sector tells us that there is less investment buying here. And at the same time, the growth of the Leeds city region will generate housing demand in suburbs like Headingley. A window of opportunity is opening to rebalance our communities. It's now up to our community and our Council to push this window open.
Leeds HMO Lobby

Headingley Development Trust
As Headway goes to press, HDT is still awaiting news of how Headingley Primary School buildings will be disposed of, and whether we might get the chance to run it as a community facility for the arts and enterprise. Watch this space!
Other exciting developments include the launch of Café Scientifique (see back page] and a very positive response to our proposed Deli Market in Headingley which we hope to launch in the early Autumn. We are working with housing agencies, including (sympathetic) developers & estate agents, to formulate a strategy for attracting more families into the area, and have other businesses planned for launching on an
unsuspecting public! We are still working for a minimum of 500 members by the first AGM, so
please remember to join if you've been meaning to – and nag your neighbours and friends too.
Forms available at all summer events (front page] and downloadable from the website
< www.headingleydevelopmenttrust.org.uk>.
Lesley Jeffries, HDT

Studentification
'Studentification' is what we suffer from in & around Headingley, 'the substitution of a local community by a student community.' Local residents have known this for years. It has now been officially recognised, not only locally, but also nationally. l Universities UK (the national association of universities) in January published a Report actually titled Studentification, which admitted that "it is incontrovertible that the negative
effects of studentification are evident in several towns & cities across the UK."
* This Report was the focus of attention at the third national conference on Students & Communities arranged in Nottingham in May by Unipol (the student housing organisation in Leeds). Community representatives from a dozen university towns were among the delegates. Some parties are still in denial (like NUS), but many councils and universities now admit that action has to be taken.
* The Report was also the focus of attention at a Breakfast Seminar hosted by Greg Mulholland MP (Leeds NW) at the House of Commons in June. The Seminar was attended by MPs from constituencies affected by studentification, as well as representatives of the National HMO Lobby.
The Report of course is very welcome – but it is seriously flawed. It fudges the definition, it misses out crucial stakeholders, and it ignores the key issue, the need for new planning laws.
'Great Student Run' Students literally overran Headingley on 30 April. The Run has since been the subject of a De-Briefing with all parties, where community reps pointed out its insensitivity and exclusivity. All aspects of the Run are now under review, before any further decisions are made.
Letting Boards Planning Compliance Officers have been carrying out regular surveys throughout the compulsory Direction Area to ensure that any To Let boards comply with the agreed code. Whilst there
has been a good degree of compliance, some property agents have failed to remove boards which do not
accord. Any agents who refuse to comply will be prosecuted. The first round of eleven agents
are to be prosecuted on 1 August 2006 at Leeds Magistrates.
Andrew Crates, Community Planning Officer

Heal Headingley Website
Heal Headingley re-launched its web site on 20 June. A new format uses the web site as a community space - residents can add their own content for other residents to see. You can now add
an event to the events calendar, or add photos to the image galleries, or add comments, discussion items or newspaper articles, or details of your club, society or hobby. Any content added anywhere
to the site will show on the home page, where it is easily visible.
The site is divided into two types of content - public content visible to all, and content intended
for residents. This means that, as a resident, you have to log on to see what is really going on. You need to create an account (its free), which will take 10 minutes, as we ask 10 questions. Full instructions are provided on the site at www.healheadingley.org.uk
Please use the web site as a platform for communication. Anything you add is a contribution to communication - and a community is built on acts of communication. You could start by answering the question, posed in a discussion forum on the site, "What about this neighbourhood makes you especially
glad you live here?" Web access is free at Headingley Library.
The Heal Headingley Team

Area Committee (all our local councillors) is open to the public (tel 305 7500).
* The Transport Group looks at local transport issues, including Residents Parking Zones.
* The Freshers Group is planning for the disruption of Headingley by Freshers Week.
* The Planning Group monitors planning issues.
For planning advice, contact our Community Planning Officer, Andrew Crates, tel 247 8027,
email < andrew.crates@leeds.gov.uk>

Pub Problems Latest news is mixed. There was some genuine anger at the way in which the new rules on licensing work, meaning that the Taps got its licensing extensions without either councillors or activists knowing about it.
Also, the first 24-hour licence has now been granted – to the Co-op on Cardigan Road. Better news was the Oak's application for later extensions, which was turned down on appeal.
The Cumulative Impact Policy seems to have patchy effects, depending on the licensing
magistrates at appeal, rather than on the licensing panel, which mostly upholds it. Unfortunately, we still need to be vigilant.
Watch out particularly for the expected application from the Stadium this summer, and from the Lounge if it gets its latest café/restaurant through.
Lesley Jeffries, Headingley Network

Neighbourhood News

Friends of Woodhouse Moor
The campaign by the Friends to prevent a car park on the Moor proved successful - the plan was scrapped by the Council's Executive Board on 17 May. Thanks to all the individuals and associations whose campaign, spear-headed by Bill McKinnon, was so effective. The Friends have now turned to antisocial use of the Moor (bonfires, etc) and to discussing future plans with the Council. Contact Headway for info.
Freda Matthews, Chair, FOWM

Drummond/Churchwood RA Development and extension of the BP petrol station on Otley
Road at Drummond Road junction is being monitored carefully by the Association. Plans to
extend the retail facilities and introduce further services have been modified substantially, and
when completed will be an asset to the locality.
With proper consultation, development can be carried out to the satisfaction of everyone. Changes include reduction in the canopy height, changes to the roofline and relocation to allow
planting for screening.
Jim Wright, Drummond/Churchwood Residents' Association

St Michael's Flower Festival takes place on 8, 9 & 10 September 2006. Entry to Reception is by ticket £5, to Floral Display and Exhibition of Church Ornaments is by programme at door £1. Contact 278 1271

Planning Decisions in Headingley Ward have been listed every quarter since Headway began. Unfortunately, the Council website no longer allows searches by ward, so we have had to discontinue this feature. Searches may now be made by street or postcode. Go to
www.leeds.gov.uk > planning applications. New applications are published every Thursday in the Yorkshire Evening Post and every month on the Heal Headingley website.

Far Headingley Village Society Wine Walk, in three local gardens, 2-6pm, Sun 9 July, for Martin House. Tickets £6 (inc 3 glasses) from 2757651 or 2785319.

Cafe Scientifique Prof Mike Campbell The Future of Work in Britain Mon 17 July; Jane Francis Global Warming Thurs 31 Aug; all meetings, 7.45 – 9.30pm, New Headingley Club, St Michael's Road, entry £2. Contact Chris Hill on chris@headingleydevelopmenttrust.org.uk

Local Election The election in May saw no major changes, either in our local councillors, or in the make-up of the Council as a whole.

Whitby Trip SHCA's annual outing to Whitby is on Sat 2 September. Contact Sue Buckle on 278 2296

Community and City Pride is an annual award scheme run by the Council to recognise the contributions that people in Leeds make to improving their environment. For info, contact
0113 395 1520 or email: info.recycling@leeds.gov.uk.

Leeds Girls High School Delay over the move of the School to Alwoodley has put off consultation over its Headingley sites.

Headingley Stadium After absolutely minimum consultation when the planning application was submitted last year, a new stand now towers over houses in St Michael's Lane and Broomfield Crescent. It is not just a stand – it is a Leeds Met University block with 11 classrooms, a large lecture/function room on the top floor and a large café on the ground floor. A license is being applied for. The creation of one of the largest buildings ever to be built in Headingley has taken place with no significant consultation with local residents. This is absolutely appalling planning practice and an affront to local democracy.
Bill Rollinson, Cardigan Triangle Community Association

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), for Highburys contact Ian Oldroyd (tel 294 5621).
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 newsletter
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 October