The Inner South Community Committee met yesterday (5 September 2018) at the Leeds Urban Bike Park in Middleton. The committee is made up of our nine local ward councillors and oversees a range of work in the local area as well as managing a wellbeing grants budget.
1. Leeds doesn’t know how big a CSE problem it has
The Shine Project, part of St Luke’s CARES, were awarded a grant of £10,000 to provide targeted work with girls facing Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) issues. In the discussion Councillors asked how big the problem was in Leeds. Jackson Turner from St Luke’s CARES told them that when he had asked the Council they said they didn’t have the information and he is still awaiting a reply from West Yorkshire Police.
2. There’s a “quiet revolution” going on in adult social care
The committee received a presentation about how access to social care services has been transformed in the city. Leeds has adopted a ‘Strength-Based Social Care’ approach which moves away from asking “what’s wrong”, to “what’s strong” and what the individual wants. Home assessment visits have been replaced with conversations at community Talking Points – neutral community venues; whilst a 28 page tick box form has been replaced by a 2 page conversation record. The committee was told that this approach was leading to shorter waiting times and more bespoke care packages.
3. A new under 8s rugby league team is being formed in Middleton
Hunslet Rugby Foundation (part of Hunslet RLFC) were awarded a grant of £9,459.20 to establish a new rugby league team to be called Middleton Rangers ARLFC. The Foundation will be working with Middleton St Mary’s, Middleton St Phillip’s, Sharp Lane and Westwood primary schools. There will be after school sessions at the four schools plus midweek and at weekend training sessions on Blenkinsop Field (behind Middleton Primary School).
4. The LGBT+ Sport Fringe Festival will be even bigger in 2019
In the run up to Leeds Pride, the LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual, Plus) Sport Fringe Festival ran inclusive sporting events across the city with partners including South Leeds Lakers, DAZL and Marching Out Together. The festival aims to breakdown homophobia amongst sports organisations and sport-phobia amongst the LBGT+ community. In 2019 the festival will be holding 40 events within the inner south area. The festival was awarded £2,000 by the committee.
5. Holbeck may get a street drinking ban
The Council has started a consultation process about plans to introduce a Public Sector Protection Order (PSPO) in Holbeck to ban street drinking as part of the work around the ‘Managed Approach’ to street sex work.
In other work related to the Managed Approach, a dirt road leading to Beggars Hill will be blocked off to vehicles; a new CCTV camera linked to Leeds Watch will be installed near St Matthew’s Community Centre; and three needle bins have been installed in the area for the safe discarding of drugs paraphernalia.
6. A grocery shop in Beeston has applied for a 24 hour off licence
The owners of a shop at 223 Dewsbury Road (near the junction with Tunstall Road) have applied for a licence to sell alcohol 24 hours a day. The application will be heard by the Council’s Licensing Sub Committee on 18 September. This was not an agenda item, but came up in discussion of the Holbeck PSPO.
7. You can report messy dog owners anonymously
If you are worried about confrontation with a dog owner who does not clear up their pooches poo, you can report the incident anonymously via the the Council’s website. The dog owner will be contacted and warned, although legal action can only be taken if a witness statement is given. Dog owners can now be fined if they don’t have bags with them to clear up dog mess.
8. Leeds United giving away fewer free match tickets
It appears Leeds United are being less generous with giving away match tickets to schools and charities. This may or may not be related to their current success on the pitch and increased match attendance.
The next meeting of the Inner South Community Committee will be held at 2pm on Wednesday 28 November 2018 at the Dewsbury Road Community Hub.
