Council elections will be held in Leeds on Thursday 2 May. After last year’s ‘all out’ election, we are back into the cycle of electing one councillor in each ward each year.
The three councillors with the lowest vote last year – Andrew Scopes (Beeston & Holbeck), Paul Wray (Hunslet & Riverside) and Paul Truswell (Middleton Park) – are up for re-election and will be challenged by a range of other parties and independents. We will publish a full list of all the candidates once nominations close next Thursday (4 April 2019).
If you haven’t voted before, or have moved house recently you will need to register to vote by midnight on Friday 12 April. You can register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote it only takes five minutes, have your National Insurance number to hand.
If you want to vote by post you must apply to the Electoral Registration Officer at Electoral Services, Level 2, Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AD by 5pm on Monday 15 April 2019.
If you want someone else to vote on your behalf at the polling station, you must apply to vote by proxy to the Electoral Registration Officer at Electoral Services, Level 2, Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AD by 5pm on Wednesday 24 April 2019.
If the party I vote for lose will I get a second referendum? Just putting that out there for democracy gone stupid. May stand myself next year could do a better job!
Wonder how many voters will be voting for councillors who don’t live anywhere near the area they “represent” why is the bottom end of Dewsbury Road classed as hunslet and riverside yet Tesco and the range come under beeston. The longroyds that are nestled in the middle of the 2 are actually no man’s land that no one takes responsibility for looking forward to the floral displays at the bottom end of Dewsbury Road in the summer ooops forgot the councillors only sponsor them on tempest road
Hi Judith, thanks for your comment.
Can I just clarify that the bottom (northern) end of Dewsbury Road, Tesco, The Range and the Longroyds all fall within the Hunslet and Riverside Ward as does Beeston Hill up to Cross Flatts Park.
Also, five of our nine Councillors do live in the wards they represent.
Hi Judith.
I’m the Councillor for the area you’ve mentioned and if you feel something is not been done, please contact me.
We’re putting a sizable amount of resources into Hunslet Moor itself, and there is a number of active community groups. A a few months back, I launched the Hunslet Moor Residents Forum to make the area in question does have a voice, and the next meeting is in June.
I also live in the ward about a 10min walk away.
There has been a hunslet moor forum before litter picking is one thing – sort out the private landlords who are buying up family homes changing them to HMOs or brothels (street opp aldi) driving decent people out who don’t want to live amongst it and shouldn’t have to the longroyds use to be a clean vibrant community in itself where everyone pitched in and kept the area nice and clean all the kids went to school together and Cockburn sports hall was a centre point for them with it’s youth club.. Majority of people were first time buyers wanting to start families not any more it’s a dumping ground for greedy private landlords. As Elizabeth Nash pointed out in an email I sent very few people vote in the longroyds. Last time I went to any sort of a meeting was a few years ago when councillor Iquabal fell asleep!
Indeed, there was a resident’s association a while ago, but these resident’s associations tend to be led by volunteer residents, and if they don’t carry on, they stop. The forums are led by the Councillors, in this case, me for Hunslet Moor, and are called every 3 months. I know residents having a voice is critical to me making better decisions as a Councillor. You know your streets better than I will, even if I live nearby, as I do.
On HMOs, as a default, as Councillors, we object to all new HMO’s in the wards as we agree there are too many in this area and we need more family homes. What we can’t legally do is stop properties been let out if there isn’t a legal reason to do so. We know short terms lets are the dominant type in the area and that caused issued with the settled residents. I aim to launch, with the Communities Committee and Private Landlords Team, a local landlord forum, so we can start to drive up standards where they are not being kept.
I also agree we can do more for youth provision, and young people themselves advised they would like a youth club. This is something being considered as part of a review into our local youth service provision.
I can’t speak for Mohammed or Elizabeth, all I can do is speak for myself. I don’t care if people have or have not voted in the area – if they need help, it’s my job to try if I can, and to look at investing in the community. It’s how I have acted for the last years and intend to do so if re-elected.
I think it’s a little one eyed to bash landlords and tar every person who lives in a bed sit as prostitues/pumps. If there is a need and demand for HMOs why object? Surely the issue is getting them to be managed better.
There are large numbers of properties that are available on the open market, but many families either cant buy (mortgage) or want to rent as it allows more flexibility, one major issue is the charging for rubbish collection and charges at the dumps. Flytipping has gone crazy since these were implemented, surely South Leeds should be exempt from these as life is proportionally more expensive anyway.