The Knowledge: the Leeds City Ambassador Guide to Leeds - Leeds Welcome
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The Knowledge: the Leeds City Ambassador Guide to Leeds
Leeds – the facts
• The third largest city in the UK with a population of 751,000 in 2011
• The population is forecast to reach 840,000 by 2021
• In the geographical centre of the UK, yet only 2 hours from London by train
• The second largest local metropolitan authority by area extending 15 miles (24
km) from east to west, and 13 miles (21 km) from north to south
• Over 65% of the Leeds district is green belt land and the city centre is less than
twenty miles (32 km) from the Yorkshire Dales National Park which has some of
the most spectacular scenery and countryside in the UK
Leeds – history
The name Leeds derives from ‘Loidis’, the name given to a forest covering most of
the Brythonic kingdom of Elmet, which existed during the 5th century into the
early 7th century. A Leeds person is known as a ‘Loiner,' a word of uncertain origin.
In the 17th and 18th centuries Leeds became a major centre for the production
and trading of wool. Then, during the Industrial Revolution, Leeds developed into a
major industrial centre; wool was the dominant industry but flax, engineering, iron
foundries, printing, and other industries were important. From being a compact
market town in the valley of the River Aire in the 16th century Leeds expanded and
absorbed the surrounding villages to become a populous urban centre by the
mid-20th century.
Today Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial heart of West Yorkshire. It is
served by three universities and has the UK’s fourth largest urban economy. After
London, Leeds is the largest legal centre in the UK, and in 2011 its financial and
insurance services industry was worth £2.1 billion, the 5th largest in the UK, with
over 30 national and international banks located in the city. It is the leading UK
city for telephone delivered banking and related financial services, with over 30
call centres employing around 20,000 people.
Visiting Leeds
Leeds is a place with many visitor attractions, for example Kirkstall Abbey,
Harewood House, Lotherton Hall, Temple Newsam, The City Museum, Canal
Gardens, The Royal Armouries and the world’s oldest working railway – Middleton
Colliery Light Railway
• The tourism industry generates an estimated £1bn to the local economy
supporting 19,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
• In 2009 there were 1.4 million visitor trips made to the city, 84% of which were
made by domestic visitors and 16% by overseas visitors. Staying visitors spent an
average of 5 nights in the city
• These staying visitors spent £280 million in the local economy.
1• There were an estimated 10.9 million day visitors from the rest of the region
• These day visitors generated an estimated £513 million of expenditure.
• Other tourism activity accounted for approximately £38.8 million expenditure
• Pre-1990 there were only 850 hotel bedrooms in Leeds. By 2013 this had
increased to 4000. There are proposals for a further 2,400 bedrooms in 17
hotels, with the 206-bed Leeds Arena Hilton currently under construction
Leeds is also a base for the wider Yorkshire area — the three national parks of the
Dales, the Peaks, the Moors and the heritage coast, Bronte Country and the like.
Yorkshire has been listed as one of the top three places in the world to visit in the
latest (2014) Lonely Planet guide, only behind destinations in India and Australia.
Leeds Visitor Centre at Leeds Art Gallery offers a wide range of services to visitors
and residents including:
• Accommodation booking service
• Metro, First and local transport advice, tickets and passes
• Tickets for West Yorkshire Playhouse, City Varieties, Leeds Grand Theatre
• Tickets for major city events
• National Express, National Holidays and Kee Travel Agent
• Gifts, books and souvenirs
Visit Leeds and Art Gallery Shop, Headrow, Leeds, LS1 3AA
Phone: 00 44 (0)113 2425242
Email: tourinfo@leeds.gov.uk
Getting about in Leeds
Leeds is the hub of a major international airport and has excellent links by rail,
bus, and car to all point of the compass. A new trolleybus system is being planned.
Roads
• There are 2,965 km of roads within Leeds with easy access to M1, M621 and M62
motorways
• The new East Leeds Link to M1 has opened access to employment land
especially in the Aire Valley
• Upgrading of A1 between Bramham and Wetherby is now complete
• Leeds City Centre Loop provides an efficient inner circulatory route for
essential traffic
Rail, Buses & Trolleybus
• Leeds City station is one of the busiest in England outside London, with over
900 trains and 100,000 passengers passing through every day. It provides
national and international connections as well as services to local and regional
destinations. The station itself has 17 platforms, making it the largest in
England outside London
• £245m invested at Leeds City Station in 2002, including new track, platforms
and station remodelling.
• Leeds is served by the electrified East Coast Main Line route.
2• Work will start in 2014 on an additional southern entrance to Leeds City Station
• Leeds will be serviced by the high speed rail link HS2, with an indicative
journey time of 1 hour 22 minutes to London
• Leeds City bus station is situated between the Quarry Hill and Leeds City
Markets areas of Leeds city centre. It is owned and managed by Metro. There is
a small bus interchange at Leeds Railway Station
• Bus journeys account for 21% of all morning peak journeys into Leeds City
Centre
• There are 3.5 km of bus guideways in Leeds
• The Leeds City Bus runs in a circle, linking key nodes in the city centre, serving
the bus, coach and railway stations, the town hall, Leeds General Infirmary plus
the nearby dental and maternity hospitals, the two main universities in the
city, University of Leeds and Leeds Metropolitan University, plus the many shops
and markets in the city
• The Leeds City Bus has carried over 6 m passengers since 2006
• A modern trolleybus network for Leeds is planned with an initial route from a
park and ride at Stourton in the south of the city to Holt Park in the north via
Hunslet, New Dock, the City Centre and Headingley
• The Leeds trolleybus plans have £174m funding contribution from the
Department for Transport for the £250m scheme
Air
Leeds Bradford International Airport is located in Yeadon, about 10 miles (16 km)
to the north-west of the city centre, and has both charter and scheduled flights to
destinations within Europe plus Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, Turkey and the USA. There
are connections to the rest of the world via London Heathrow Airport, Brussels
Airport and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
• Leeds Bradford International, currently has 3m passengers per year. This is
predicted to rise to 8m by 2026
• BMI, Jet2, Ryanair, Flybe, Eastern Airways, Easyjet,KLM cityhopper, and
Airsouthwest operate services
• 2,200 jobs created directly by the airport, with new developments creating a
further 2,000 jobs
There is a direct rail service from Leeds to Manchester Airport. Humberside Airport
is 70 miles (113 km) east of Leeds.
Parking
There are many car parks serving Leeds City Centre – these are the main ones
• Boar Lane - The Bourse South Side (24 hrs)
• Former International Pool - Westgate (24 hrs)
• Leeds Station - Long Stay MSCP (24 hrs)
• Leeds Station Riverside - Aire Street (24 hrs)
• Merrion Centre - Merrion Way (24 hrs)
• Rose Bowl - Portland Crescent (underground section closes at 23.00 hours)
• The Core - Albion Street (closes at 24.00)
• Sovereign Street
• St Johns Centre - Merrion Street (24 hrs)
3• Swinegate Car Park (24 hrs)
• Templar Street & Edward Street Car Park (24 hrs)
• The Light - St Anne's Street (24 hrs)
• Wellington Place (24 hrs)
• West Riding House (24 hrs)
• Westgate - Castle Street (24 hrs)
• Woodhouse Lane (24 hrs)
Taxis
The main taxi ranks in the City Centre are at
• Calverley Street (LGI)
• City Square (Loch Fyne)
• Cookridge Street (opposite Walkabout)
• Duncan Street
• First Direct Arena
• Greek Street
• Leeds City Station
• Merrion Street (Santander)
• New Briggate (Grand Theatre)
• The Headrow – Dortmund Square, The Light, Primark
• Vicar Lane (Victoria Quarter)
• Wade Lane (Fairfax House)
• Woodhouse Lane (Oceana)
How to get a taxi/private hire
Hackney Carriages in Leeds are mainly white with a black bonnet and boot (oval
stickers on the doors) or with a full body advertising wrap. They will have an
illuminated ‘Taxi’ sign fitted to the roof. These can be caught at a rank and all
fares should be metered. They can also be flagged down in the street if their roof
light is illuminated.
Private Hire vehicles in Leeds can be any colour or type of saloon or people carrier
and have red stickers on the doors and a red rear plate. These must be pre booked
in advance through the private hire operator base. They cannot be flagged down in
the street or sit on Hackney Carriage ranks. If a journey taken that is not booked in
advance their insurance will be automatically invalidated. There is no designated
pick up point for Private Hire vehicles and should only be booked through a
licensed Private Hire operator.
Culture in Leeds
Leeds is a place to take part in cultural activities such as Theatre, Opera, Dance,
Music, Art, or to study history.
Media
• Leeds was where the first known moving pictures in the world were filmed,
taken in the city in 1888 by Louis Le Prince and this fact is commemorated on a
blue plaque on Leeds Bridge.
4• Regional television and radio stations have bases in the city; BBC Television and
ITV both have regional studios and broadcasting centres in Leeds. ITV Yorkshire,
formerly Yorkshire Television, broadcasts from the Leeds Studios on Kirkstall
Road.
• BBC Radio Leeds, Radio Aire, Magic 828, Capital Yorkshire, HEART and Yorkshire
Radio broadcast from the city
• Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd, owned by Johnston Press plc, is based in the
city, and produces a daily morning broadsheet, the Yorkshire Post, and an
evening paper, the Yorkshire Evening Post (YEP)
• The most famous TV programme regularly filmed in Leeds is Emmerdale which
is filmed on a closed set on the Harewood Estate
• Made in Leeds is the new local television station to launch across the city in
2014
Attractions
For comprehensive information on all Leeds attractions visit the following:
Visit Leeds, Leeds Welcome and Leeds Inspired
Music, theatre and dance
• Leeds is the only city outside London to boast its own Opera Company (Opera
North) and two national dance companies; Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance.
• Leeds is home to the Grand Theatre where Opera North is based, this
establishment seats 1,500 people and has recently undergone a £31.5m
refurbishment. 46 New Briggate, LS1 6NU
• The City Varieties Music Hall, which hosted performances by Charlie Chaplin
and Harry Houdini and was also the venue of the BBC television programme The
Good Old Days. The City Varieties is the oldest working music hall in the
country! Swan Street, LS1 6LW
• The West Yorkshire Playhouse, the largest producing theatre outside London
and Stratford. The theatre produces a wide range of classic, contemporary and
family shows throughout the year. Playhouse Square, LS2 7UP
• Leeds is also home to Phoenix Dance Theatre, who were formed in the Harehills
area of the city in 1981, and Northern Ballet Theatre. In autumn 2010 the two
companies moved into a purpose-built dance centre which is the largest space
for dance outside of London. Quarry Hill, LS2 7PA
• The First Direct Arena opened in September 2013. The 13,500 seater stadium is
rapidly becoming the city's number one venue for live music, indoor sports and
many other events
• Concerts are also held at the O2 Academy, Elland Road, which has hosted
groups such as Queen and Kaiser Chiefs, among others and at the universities.
Roundhay Park in north Leeds has seen some of the world's biggest artists
including Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and Robbie Williams.
• The iconic Town Hall ‘has some of the finest acoustics in country’ There is a
varied calendar of events happening throughout the year including concerts,
film screenings, stand-up comedians, educational events and more
• The Carriageworks Theatre - showcases the best new national and regional
performances based on Millennium Square
• The Cottage Road Cinema is the oldest cinema in Leeds and one of the oldest
cinemas in the UK in that it has been continuously showing films since 1912
5• Hyde Park Cinema Is a Grade II listed building, the Hyde Park still boasts many
original features including gas lighting and a decorated Edwardian balcony. The
cinema has a piano and organ. It is the only gas lit cinema remaining in use in
the UK. The ornate gas lamp outside the entrance is also Grade II listed.
Carnivals and festivals
• Leeds Carnival is Western Europe's oldest West Indian Carnival, and the UK's
second largest after Notting Hill Carnival. It attracts around 100,000 people
over 3 days to the streets of Chapeltown and Harehills.
• Leeds Festival is an annual rock concert held over the August Bank Holiday
Weekend, twinned with the Reading Festival and sees major British and
international acts perform at the site at Braham Park
• Light Night Leeds takes place each October, and many venues in the city are
open to the public for Heritage Open Days in September
• Leeds Food and Drink Festival is held in May and June culminating in the annual
three day Yorkshire Food and Drink Show in Millennium Square during the
festival's final weekend
• Leeds Christkindelmarkt (German Market) is held each year in November and
December just before Christmas. Millennium Square is transformed into a
scenic winter village, with over 40 traditional wooden chalet stalls decorated
with festive greenery and twinkling colourful lights.
• The Ice Cube, Yorkshire's coolest wintertime attraction is a real outdoor ice rink
with accessible skating for all in Millennium Square in January and February
each year
• Leeds Valentines Fair held at Elland Road each year and the UK's largest
Valentines event
• The Leeds International Pianoforte Competition, established in 1963 by Dame
Fanny Waterman and Marion Stein, has been held in the city every three years
since 1963 and has launched the careers of many major concert pianists.
• The Leeds International Concert Season, which includes orchestral and choral
concerts in Leeds Town Hall and other events, is the largest local authority
music programme in the UK
• The Leeds International Film Festival is the largest film festival in England
outside London. It incorporates the highly successful Leeds Young People's Film
Festival
• There are many local festivals — for example Garforth host to the fortnight long
festival, Chapel Allerton Arts Festival is a week-long event. Kirkstall Festival,
Beeston and Pudsey Carnivals are also long established and very popular. Otley
Folk Festival takes place every September and Morley Literature Festival in
October each year.
Nightlife
• Leeds has one of the largest student populations in the country (over 250,000),
and is therefore one of the UK's hotspots for night-life. There are a large
number of pubs, bars, nightclubs and restaurants, as well as a multitude of
venues for live music including Control NightClub. The biggest purpose built,
multi-million pound event space in the north of England. Control features 2
arenas across 25,000 square feet with a capacity of 3000 people. 24 hour venue
license, 7 bars, the Worlds first LED Geodome®
6• Towards Millennium Square and the Civic or Northern Quarter, is a growing
entertainment district providing for both students and weekend visitors. The
square has many bars and restaurants and a large outdoor screen mounted on
the side of the Civic Theatre.
• Millennium Square is a venue for large seasonal events such as a Christmas
market, gigs and concerts, citywide parties and the Rhythms of the City
Festival. It is home to Mandela Gardens, which were opened by Nelson Mandela
in 2001
• The new £23m City Museum opened September 2008 in the former Civic
Theatre on Millennium Square.
• Leeds has been chosen as one of the world's top destinations in 2014 by the
New York Times - because of its beer and real ale pubs. Too numerous to
mention but those that stand out in the City Centre include the Adelphi,
Whitelocks, The Ship, Victoria, Turks Head Yard, The Grove, Duck and Drake,
and The Templar. In the rest of the city are pubs like The Regent, the Chemic,
the Rodley Barge, Garden Gate, and the oldest pub in the city, The Bingley
Arms in Bardsey - dating from 953 AD.
Recent developments
• The Tetley: a new centre for contemporary art and learning located in the
stunning art deco headquarters of the former Tetley Brewery in central Leeds.
• The £12m Northern Ballet Theatre Company headquarters has been opened in
Quarry Hill
• A £33m Grand Theatre transformation has been completed and Howard
Assembly Rooms completed.
• The Leeds First Direct Arena, with capacity for 13,500 people and costing £60m
opened 2013.
Business Leeds
Leeds is home to a range of manufacturing, services, creative industry, technology,
finance, law, distribution companies:
• The regional capital of Yorkshire and the Humber
• The largest employment centre with 462,600 people working in Leeds in 2013
and the city expected to provide another 44,000 before 2023
• The regional centre for finance and business services
• The region's main centre for knowledge-based industries
• In 2012 the total economy was worth £18.8bn, growing by 39% in the last
decade.
Jobs
• In terms of employment structure, Leeds is the most diverse of any major GB
city — the city is not dependent on a limited number of companies or sectors
• In 2012 there were 25,100 active businesses — second only to Birmingham
• Over 194,000 people work in knowledge intensive activities, second only to
Birmingham
• Largest employer outside London for finance & business services — accounting
for 29% of employee jobs.
7• 8,000 people are employed in legal services
• Call centres in Leeds employ around 20,000 people
• Leeds is a major creative industries centre with 36,500 people — the largest
centre outside London
• It is the second largest employer outside London for manufacturing - 28,900
people of which 10,900 people in engineering , 4,600 people in printing and
publishing
• The service sector employs 341,600 people — 86% of total employees
• 106,000 people work in the public sector — 27% of total employment
• Leeds has over 30 national and international banks, many of whose northern or
regional offices are based in the city. It is the headquarters for First Direct and
is home to Yorkshire Bank and large Barclays, HSBC, Santander, Lloyds Banking
Group and RBS Group operations.
• The city is also an important centre for equity, venture and risk finance.
Founded in Leeds, the venture capital provider, YFM Equity Partners, is now the
UK’s largest provider of risk capital to small and medium sized enterprises.
• Other major companies based in the city include William Hill, International
Personal Finance, ASDA, Leeds Building Society and Northern Foods. Capita
Group, KPMG, o2, Direct Line, Aviva, Yorkshire Building Society, BT Group and
TD Waterhouse all also have a considerable presence in the city.
Employment
• Around 2m people live within 30 minutes driving time of Leeds City Centre
• In September 2013 the claimant proportion at 4.3% was the 3rd lowest, while
the unemployment rate at 9.5% was the 4th lowest of the 14 largest centres in
the country.
• 18% of Leeds households were workless — equal lowest of the 14 largest
centres.
Learning in Leeds
Leeds as a great place to learn — examples are The University of Leeds, Leeds
Beckett University, Leeds Trinity, Leeds City College, Leeds College of Music, Leeds
College of Art and Design, Leeds College of Building.
• Combined totals of learners give Leeds one of the largest student populations in
the country with over 250,000 further and higher education students
• Leeds was voted the Best UK University Destination by a survey in The
Independent newspaper
Further Education
• Leeds is the 2nd largest provider of post 16 education for young people in
England
• There are five Further Education Colleges, with over 50,000 students. Further
education in Leeds is provided by Leeds City College (formed by a merger in
2009 and having over 60,000 students), Leeds College of Building and Notre
Dame Catholic Sixth Form College.
8Higher Education
• The city has three universities: the University of Leeds – which received its
charter in 1904 having developed from the Yorkshire College which was founded
in 1874 and the Leeds School of Medicine of 1831; Leeds Beckett University
(formerly Leeds Metropolitan University) which became a university in 1992 but
can trace its roots to the Mechanics' Institute of 1824; and Leeds Trinity
University which began in 1966 as two teacher training colleges which merged
in 1980 to form Trinity and All Saints College and became a university in 2012.
University of Leeds
• Ranked among the world’s top 100 universities
• It is the city's third largest employer and contributes some £860m to the local
economy
• Has 6,950 staff and over 32,500 students from 130 countries
• More than 61% of its research is rated ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally
excellent’
• For the 2012 graduates, 69% were in employment and 17% in further training
months after graduation.
Leeds Beckett University
• Has over 28,500 students
• One of the largest providers of foundation degrees in the country
• For those graduating in 2012, 82% were in employment and 10% in further study.
Leeds Trinity University
• Independent higher education institution with just under 3,500 students
• 93% of the 2011 graduates were in work or further studies.
Sports Leeds
Leeds is a great place to watch/play/train/learn sports. The city has teams
representing all the major national sports. Leeds United is the city's main football
club and Leeds Rhinos (Rugby League), Leeds Carnegie (Rugby Union) and Yorkshire
County Cricket Club is also based in the city.
Leeds United was formed in 1919 and plays football at the 40,000 capacity Elland
Road stadium in Beeston. The team plays in The Championship but has enjoyed
success at the highest level in the past, notably during the 1960s and 1970s when it
won two Football League titles, an FA Cup, a Football League Cup and an Inter-
Cities Fairs Cup.
Leeds Rhinos are the most successful rugby league team in Leeds. In 2009 they
became first club to be Super League champions three seasons running, giving
them their fourth Super League title. They play their home games at the
Headingley Carnegie Stadium. Hunslet Hawks, based at the John Charles Centre for
Sport play in Co-Operative Championship One. Bramley Buffaloes and Leeds Akkies
are members of the Rugby League Conference.
9Leeds Carnegie, formerly known as Leeds Tykes, are the foremost rugby union
team in Leeds and they play at Headingley Carnegie Stadium. They play in the RFU
Championship having been relegated from The Guinness Premiership at the end of
the 2010–11 season. Otley R.U.F.C. are a rugby union club based to the north of the
city and compete in National League 2 North, whilst Morley R.F.C., located in
Morley currently play in National Division Three North.
Leeds is also home to Yorkshire County Cricket Club which is the most successful
cricket team in English Domestic Cricket, with over 31 County Championship wins.
It is also one of the most popular cricket team in England and plays at Headingley
stadium. The stadium is widely used for international cricket also.
Leeds United L.F.C is the best-placed women's football team in Leeds, competing
at the highest level in England, the FA Women's Premier League National Division.
Leeds City Athletic Club competes in the British Athletics League and UK Women's
League as well as the Northern Athletics League.
The City of Leeds Swimming Club train at the John Charles Centre for Sport and
are represented by swimmers throughout the whole of the North East.
Shopping in Leeds
Leeds is a major centre for leisure shopping — of particular note are Trinity Leeds,
Victoria Quarter, Corn Exchange, Arcades, Harvey Nichols, Kirkgate Market in the
city centre and the White Rose out of town centre:
• Leeds has 5 miles of shopping with 1000 shops
• 10,000 people work in retailing, with another 7,200 in bars and hotels
• Leeds is the UK's fifth largest shopping location by retail floorspace
• Around 3.2 million people live within its catchment area.
City Centre
• There are a number of indoor shopping centres in the centre of the city,
including the Merrion Centre, St John's Centre, The Core, the Victoria Quarter,
The Light, the Corn Exchange and Trinity Leeds
• The 1904 hall of Leeds Kirkgate Market is the largest covered market in Europe.
The city centre has a large pedestrian zone. Briggate is the main shopping
street where one can find many well-known British High street stores, including
Marks & Spencer, House of Fraser, Debenhams, Topshop, Costa Coffee and
Harvey Nichols. There is also a large international presence in Leeds with stores
such as H&M, Zara, Gap, American Apparel, Hollister, Urban Outfitters, Foot
Locker, L'Occitane en Provence, McDonald's and Starbucks
• The Victoria Quarter is notable for its high-end luxury retailers and impressive
architecture. 70 stores such as Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith,
Diesel and anchor Harvey Nichols
• On 21 March 2013, Trinity Leeds opened in the city centre. The modern and
interactive retail space covers the old Burton Arcades and the former Leeds
Shopping Plaza with its main entrance from Briggate. The 1m sq ft centre
contains approximately 120 internationally recognised retail and leisure units,
including; Cult, Hollister, Mango, Topshop, Topman, Apple, H&M, Next, River
10Island, Lego Store and Victoria's Secret and will catapult Leeds to 4th place in
the UK retail rankings
• The first phase of the new Victoria Gate centre, with John Lewis as the flagship
store is now on site.
Out of Town
In the Churwell area of Leeds is the White Rose Shopping Centre. Opening in 1997,
the 680,000 sq ft (63,000 sqm) centre has over 100 high street stores anchored by
Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Primark and Sainsbury's.
Public Services in Leeds
Leeds has extensive and effective Public Services including West Yorkshire Police,
Leeds City Council, HMP Leeds prison, over 130 schools, and six hospitals.
108,000 people work in the public sector in Leeds – 24% of the workforce. The
largest employers are Leeds City Council, with 33,000 staff, and the Leeds
Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, with 14,000 staff.
Leeds has become a hub of public-sector health bodies. The Department of Health,
NHS England, the Care Quality Commission, the Health and Social Care Information
Centre, and Public Health England all have large offices in Leeds. Europe's largest
teaching hospital is also based in Leeds, and is home to the Yorkshire Cancer
Centre, the largest of its kind in Europe.
Key government departments and organisations in Leeds include the Department
for Work and Pensions, with over 3,000 staff, the Department of Health, with over
800 staff, HMRC with over 1,200 staff and the British Library with 1,100 staff.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is an NHS hospital trust in Leeds, West
Yorkshire, England. The Trust was formed in April 1998 after the merger of two
previous smaller NHS trusts to form one city-wide organisation. The former trusts
were United Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (based at Leeds General Infirmary)
and St James's and Seacroft University Hospitals NHS Trust (based at St James's
University Hospital). It provides services for the population of Leeds and
surrounding areas, and is a regional centre for a range of services including cancer,
neurosurgery, heart surgery, liver and kidney transplantation. It is the largest NHS
trust in the United Kingdom and employs over 14,000 staff on six main sites. It runs
six hospitals:
• Chapel Allerton Hospital
• Leeds Dental Institute
• Leeds General Infirmary (with A&E)
• St James's University Hospital (with A&E)
• Seacroft Hospital
• Wharfedale Hospital
West Yorkshire Police force has (since late 2013) one combined division covering
Leeds with stations at Weetwood, Stainbeck near Chapel Allerton, Killingbeck,
11Millgarth, and Holbeck. The new Leeds District Headquarters at Elland Road
opened its doors 11 April 2014.
The fire stations in Leeds are: Cookridge, Gipton, Hunslet, Stanks, Moortown, and
the "Leeds" fire station near city centre, on Kirkstall Road.
Community Safety
Leeds is a very safe City to enjoy. The City Centre has an excellent CCTV system
links in with a multitude of uniform partners across the City Centre through our
own radio and computer links. All will help and assist City Ambassadors if you need
anything. They support the Inner and Outer City Centre during both the day time
and night time economy.
There are very few rough sleepers in Leeds City Centre - currently (May 2014)
around 6 although we do have individuals who travel into the City Centre just to
beg to simply earn more money. Housing will be provided to any homeless
individual and the City runs the “No Second Night Out” Project. We recommend
contributing to charities such as St Georges Crypt, CRI, and St Annes who help
provide a long term solution, meals and accommodation.
Violent crime across the City has reduced year on year by 10%. To support this
people are not allowed to drink alcohol out on the street. We have a very safe
waterfront area but care needs to be taken if walking close to the water
particularly when it is dark and after drinking. An ambulance triage unit works
during a Friday and Saturday night on Briggate to deal with minor accidents and
emergencies.
Like any large City Centre we have individuals who will try to steal property if it is
unattended. We ask people to ensure that they do not leave mobile phone, laptop,
and purses vulnerable and bags unzipped to avoid somebody stealing property. If
walking from a car park we ask people not leave valuables on display or leave
satnav’s in their car.
Leeds City Region
The Leeds City Region Partnership has secured a ground breaking deal which will
allow the 11 local authorities that make up the City Region to have a much bigger
say in decisions on investment and skills. They will be able to take decisions more
quickly in line with local priorities and coordinate funds directly. The deal features
a number of initiatives to support growth, including:
• The creation of the country’s first apprenticeship academy in Leeds
• £1bn local fund for investment in public transport and highways
• A further £400m fund to modernise infrastructure across the region
• Initiatives to increase overseas trade and inward investment activity.
12Leeds - Plans for the future
• Leeds’ vision is to become the best city in the UK by 2030. It will be fair, open
and welcoming with an economy that is both prosperous and sustainable and all
our communities will be successful. A successful economy is central to the
delivery of this vision. With the recent government announcement of the local
retention of business rates, a growing economy will become the generator of
income to invest in infrastructure and help pay to strengthen and sustain local
services.
• The City is also just as concerned with making sure that growth translates into
real benefits for people, improving their quality of life whatever their age and
background. So the strategy also reflects some of the social and cultural
aspects of growth and recognises the substantial contribution to be made by
the third sector to the health and vitality of the economy.
• Key future investments affecting the city will be the second phase of High
Speed 2 plans to connect Leeds to London via East Midlands Hub and the
modern trolleybus network for Leeds is currently in the planning stages with an
initial route from a park and ride at Stourton in the south of the city to Holt
Park in the North via Hunslet, New Dock, the city centre and Headingley.
Further information
• The Leeds Growth Strategy (2011)
• The Agenda (2008)
• Economic data
• Creative industries report
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