Leeds Star Newspaper

18/06/2026

13/06/2026

07/06/2026

New Leeds Heritage Framework Celebrates City’s Independent Spirit. A new blueprint setting out how heritage can help shape the future of Leeds has been launched. Independent Spirit: A Heritage Framework for Leeds brings together organisations from across the city’s heritage sector to establish a shared vision for the years ahead. The framework outlines how the city’s heritage can bring people together, strengthen communities and play a more active role in the future development of Leeds. It was created through extensive collaboration with cultural and heritage organisations, while hundreds of residents from communities across the city also contributed their views. The document highlights the distinctive ‘Independent Spirit’ at the heart of Leeds’ heritage and explores how the city’s history and identity can contribute to civic life, placemaking, wellbeing and economic growth. Partners involved in the project include the Royal Armouries, the British Library, Leeds Civic Trust and the Henry Moore Foundation, alongside the Thackray Museum of Medicine, Harewood House and the West Yorkshire Archive Service https://leedsstar.co.uk/our-city/new-leeds-heritage-framework-celebrates-citys-independent-spirit/

07/06/2026

Leeds Sporting Excellence Celebrated at 2026 Sports Awards. Sporting stars, rising talent and unsung heroes were celebrated as the Leeds Sports Awards returned to the Carriageworks Theatre for an evening honouring the people who make a lasting contribution to sport across the city. Organised by Sport Leeds and Leeds City Council, the annual awards recognise achievements at every level, from elite competition to grassroots participation. Alongside leading athletes, the ceremony celebrated the coaches, volunteers, clubs, schools and community champions whose dedication helps sport thrive in neighbourhoods throughout Leeds. Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft CBE DL was crowned Disability Sportsperson of the Year, while the Sportsperson of the Year title was jointly awarded to Luke Whitehouse, Jake Connor and Samuel Lawman following outstanding seasons in their respective sports. The city’s emerging talent was also recognised, with Gabriel Shepherd named Young Sportsperson of the Year and Oliver Porter receiving the Young Disability Sportsperson of the Year award. At grassroots level, Drighlington A.R.L.F.C. were named Community Club of the Year, while Liam Stanhope was honoured as Community Coach of the Year for his commitment to encouraging participation and supporting player development. Warmest congratulations to every individual, club and organisation honoured at the 2026 Leeds Sports Awards. Each award reflects far more than a single moment of success. It represents years of hard work, resilience, teamwork and an unwavering commitment to making sport a powerful and positive force across our city https://leedsstar.co.uk/sport/leeds-sporting-excellence-celebrated-at-2026-sports-awards/

07/06/2026

Leeds Partnership Drives Elland Road Transformation Forward. Plans for a multi-billion-pound redevelopment of the area surrounding Leeds United’s Elland Road stadium have taken a major step forward after West Yorkshire Combined Authority joined the partnership overseeing the project. The authority has signed an existing Memorandum of Understanding with Leeds City Council and The Lowy Family Group, the global private investment company working as the football club’s development partner. The agreement sets out a shared commitment to support the transformation of the 40-acre site around the stadium into a new mixed-use district, with proposals including 2,500 homes, workspaces, shops, sports facilities and public spaces. Leeds United has been granted planning permission to expand Elland Road, with initial work already started. Leeds City Council has also issued updated planning guidance for the surrounding area, outlining plans for thousands of new homes and improved public spaces. A Strategic Outline Case for the proposed mass transit system is due to be submitted to the Government later this year. A positive decision would allow pre-development work to begin, marking another important step in the long-term regeneration of the area. The proposals are expected to deliver long-term economic and social benefits for Leeds while creating a better-connected district around one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks https://leedsstar.co.uk/news/leeds-partnership-drives-elland-road-transformation-forward/

Plans for a multi-billion-pound redevelopment of the area surrounding Leeds United’s Elland Road stadium have taken a major step forward after West Yorkshire Combined Authority joined the partnership overseeing the project. The authority has signed an existing Memorandum of Understanding with Leed...

07/06/2026

Leeds Council Leader Welcomes Regeneration Funding Boost. The leader of Leeds City Council has welcomed a multi-million pound funding package aimed at driving forward major regeneration projects and creating new homes, jobs and opportunities for local people. Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the government investment while speaking at the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum in Leeds. The funding will support regeneration work already being spearheaded by the council in locations including West End Riverside, Meadow Lane and the Temple district. Plans for the Temple district include bringing the Grade I-listed Temple Works building back into use as part of the wider redevelopment of the area. The council leader said the funding would help accelerate regeneration schemes designed to support economic growth while delivering benefits for communities across the city. Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, will also provide a £16m infrastructure grant to Caddick Group to help deliver Leeds South Village. The mixed-use neighbourhood is planned for the city’s South Bank area and forms part of wider efforts to unlock development and investment across Leeds https://leedsstar.co.uk/news/leeds-council-leader-welcomes-regeneration-funding-boost/

The leader of Leeds City Council has welcomed a multi-million pound funding package aimed at driving forward major regeneration projects and creating new homes, jobs and opportunities for local people. Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the government investment while speaking at the UK’s Real Est...

07/06/2026

Leeds Lit Fest Returns for 2026 with More Than 50 Events Across the City. Leeds will become a city of stories once again as Leeds Lit Fest returns with more than 50 literary events, performances and creative experiences at venues across the city. Taking place from Saturday, June 6, to Sunday, June 14, the 2026 festival will bring together acclaimed writers, poets and performers at venues across the city. This year’s programme is one of the festival’s most ambitious to date, with more than 50 events set to transform libraries, theatres, arts spaces and community venues into hubs of creativity and conversation. Poetry lovers will have plenty to choose from throughout the festival, with a wide-ranging programme of spoken-word performances and live shows. The Northern Poets Collective — Nabeela Ahmed, Rachel Bower, Antony Dunn, Testament and Emily Zobel Marshall — will present an evening of contemporary poetry and spoken word. Door-to-door poet Rowan McCabe will bring his show Hard Knocks to the festival, combining comedy and spoken word in a personal exploration of community, connection and the unexpected moments that have shaped his unconventional career. Naomi Wood will also perform her new show, Monster, which examines the idea of the female ‘monster’ through literature, myth and storytelling. From intimate author conversations to lively evenings of performance poetry, Leeds Lit Fest will celebrate creativity in its many forms while bringing writers, performers and audiences together across the city https://leedsstar.co.uk/books/leeds-lit-fest-returns-for-2026-with-more-than-50-events-across-the-city/

07/06/2026

Leeds City Council Urges Residents to Prepare for Heatwaves After UK Records Hottest Day Ever. Leeds City Council is urging residents to prepare for periods of extreme heat as the city braces for the risk of further heatwaves during the summer months. The warning follows the UK recording its hottest day on record and comes amid growing concern about the impact of rising temperatures on public health. Leeds has experienced record-breaking heat in recent years. In 2022, temperatures in the city reached 40°C for the first time, prompting the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to issue a red heat-health warning. A report published by the council’s director of public health in 2025 outlined a series of recommendations to help Leeds cope with increasingly hot weather. These included ensuring residents have access to places where they can rest and cool down during periods of extreme heat. A city-wide pilot scheme is now being launched to provide designated ‘cool spaces’ at venues across Leeds. The indoor spaces are intended to help reduce the health risks associated with high temperatures by giving residents a comfortable place to take a break from the heat. They will not provide medical care or specialist support, but visitors will be able to access free drinking water and somewhere to sit, rest and cool down https://leedsstar.co.uk/news/leeds-city-council-urges-residents-to-prepare-for-heatwaves-after-uk-records-hottest-day-ever/

Leeds City Council is urging residents to prepare for periods of extreme heat as the city braces for the risk of further heatwaves during the summer months. The warning follows the UK recording its hottest day on record and comes amid growing concern about the impact of rising temperatures on public...