Latest news with #RykDownes
BBC News
12 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
'Lessons learned' by Leeds council after school closure U-turn
A council has said it will learn lessons after it was forced to reverse its plan to close a primary City Council had intended to shut Queensway Primary, in Yeadon, after saying a decline in pupil numbers and financial pressures had put its long-term sustainability at the authority was forced to shelve the plan after parents launched a legal challenge over the way a consultation was carried out ahead of the a set of recommendations to improve future school consultations have been published in a "lessons learned" report by the council. The report found that parents, school staff and councillors felt the consultation period was not long enough, although meetings were held in the run-up to the also said the plan had caused "stress and upset for children, their families and the wider community", particularly as they faced a similar closure threat in added that it had also caused concern over the welfare of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. At a children and families meeting earlier, Otley & Yeadon councillor Ryk Downes said: "Parents were coming to me saying they couldn't find alternative places for their children based on their SEND needs."We have got to sort out the problem of pupil numbers in Aireborough but at the moment the solution isn't there."Councillors were told that a wider "area-based" approach to the decline in pupil numbers would be taken moving Mark Duce, who has been at the school for four years, announced last week he and other staff had taken the difficult decision to leave the school due to a "lack of clarity provided regarding the long-term future of Queensway". Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
BBC News
30-04-2025
- BBC News
Damaged Leeds beauty spot parking meters will not be replaced -council
Parking meters damaged after Leeds City Council introduced payments for five sites will not be were introduced at the beauty spot car parks on 10 February to try and raise more revenue for the parking at Golden Acre Park, Otley Chevin, Roundhay Park, Temple Newsam and Middleton Park now have to pay £4 for the day or £80 for a year's season at Otley Chevin were damaged just hours before charges came in. The council will not replace the devices, instead saying people would need to pay by app via their phones. Local Liberal Democrat councillors have expressed concern that this includes a 20p fee and excludes people who wish to use cash. A statement posted on social media by Otley councillors Colin Campbell, Ryk Downes and Sandy Lay read: "Whilst we have always been clear that we didn't support the introduction of parking charges at Chevin car parks, we absolutely condemn the recent vandalism to the ticket machines and signage."This mindless damage has now left no working machines at Surprise View, East Chevin Quarry, Lower Shawfield, or Upper Shawfield car parks."The councillors expressed disappointment that the machines would not replaced, and urged Leeds City Council to rethink its decision."We understand the financial pressures but are very disappointed that genuine users are now inconvenienced further," the statement read. 'Unacceptable' A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said they understood some people would be unhappy but "vandalising the machines is unacceptable"."The income raised from the parking charges is used to directly support our parks and vandalism of the payment machines will directly impact the visitor experience."The spokesperson added that the damage meant using the PayByPhone app was "currently the only option" unless visitors were purchasing a season ticket, with 80% of visitors using the app at locations where meters were functional. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
