Leeds 2030

Our vision to be the best city in the UK

Vision for Leeds 2011 to 2030
Our Vision for 2030
The Leeds Initiative is the city’s local strategic
partnership. Founded in 1990, we bring together
a wide range of people and organisations from
the public, private and third sectors to work
together to improve the city and overcome
problems for the benefit of everyone.
Foreword
Leeds is a city still grappling with the effects of a worldwide
financial crisis and significant cuts to public sector investment.
This is having a huge impact on standards of living and the opportunities available to people. Young people,
in particular, are finding it harder than ever to find job opportunities and fulfill their potential. While addressing
these short-term challenges, Leeds must continue to be a forward-looking city and have a clear plan for the future.

This Vision is ambitious, we are challenging ourselves to be the best city in the UK. That means being fair, sustainable
and inclusive. The consultation exercise highlighted that people care about community and society as much as
infrastructure and buildings. So this Vision sets out not only how we aim to achieve a 21st century transport
system for the city, but also our ambitions to create a more cohesive city with stronger communities.

Leeds City Council will play its part by aiming to become the best council in the country, but it cannot achieve
this Vision alone. We want to see all people, businesses and organisations get behind this collective effort.

The success of our city depends on all of us working together to make sure that our Vision and all our plans
and strategies are robust and have been tested and challenged. We will make sure that we continue to work
in partnership and with local communities to achieve the best for the people of Leeds.

Councillor Keith Wakefield

Chair, Leeds Initiative
Leader, Leeds City Council
04
A Vision for all of Leeds
Leeds is the regional capital and the main
economic driver for Yorkshire with major road,
rail and air connections to neighbouring towns
and cities and to national and international
networks.

Why a new Vision?

1
Leeds is a city of 798,800 people . In general, people
are living longer and Leeds has as many people over
60 as under 16. There is a higher proportion of young Despite becoming wealthier as a city over the
people than the national average, including a large last 20 years, Leeds still has too many deprived
student population. Leeds is also a diverse city with areas, where there is a poor quality of life, low
many cultures, languages, races and faiths. 17.4 percent educational performance, too much crime and
of our population is made up of people from black anti-social behaviour, poor housing, poor health,
and ethnic-minority communities, 18 percent have a and families where no one has worked for
2
limiting long-term illness or disability and six generations. We need to continue to tackle the
to ten percent are lesbian, gay and bisexual. multiple problems of poverty and to improve
all parts of Leeds. Our partners need to find
This Vision is for everyone who lives and works
new ways to share resources and work with
in the Leeds Metropolitan District, an area covering
communities to achieve results.
217 square miles. Leeds is the second largest
metropolitan authority in the country and the We last published a long-term plan for the city
largest in the north of England. It is a rich and varied in 2004 and since then much has changed both
place, including a vibrant city centre - well known globally and locally. The city of Leeds is facing a
for its shopping and nightlife - with built-up areas series of major challenges.
surrounding it, some more rural areas, and several
towns and villages. These stretch from Otley in the Tackling climate change
north-west, Wetherby in the north-east, the rural
In Leeds we have already seen how small changes
areas of Bramham and Aberford to the east, Rothwell,
can have a dramatic impact on our daily lives, such as
Allerton Bywater and Methley to the south and
flooding, which has caused havoc to our communities
south-east, and Pudsey and Morley to the west and
and businesses. We are also using up the planet’s
south-west. A unique and distinctive place, the city has
natural resources at an alarming speed – as early
a rich industrial heritage; two-thirds of the district is
as 2020 our demand for oil could exceed supply.
green belt and it is in easy reach of two national parks.
We need to plan for this and look at alternatives.
Known as the leading financial and legal centre in
the UK outside London, the city is home to some Responding to the global recession
of the largest financial institutions in the country. Over the last ten years, Leeds has gained a national
It has a diverse economy, excellent universities and reputation as a city of economic growth, creating jobs
world-class culture and sport. in a range of industries and sectors. But the recession

1
Office of National Statistics, 2010 mid year population estimate
2
Office of National Statistics, 2009 mid year population estimate
 05

has had a real impact on some of Leeds’ key sectors, We did this by:
including construction, and business and financial
• distributing a consultation document across
services. We will need to find new ways to remain
the city in public buildings;
competitive.
• publicising the consultation in the local media;
Anticipating changes to our population • setting up a website inviting people to get
Leeds’ population is forecast to grow. involved in a debate about the kind of city
This will include: they want Leeds to be;
• using social media, including Facebook, Twitter
• greater numbers of children and young people;
and LinkedIn; and
• more people aged 75 years and over; and
• holding face-to-face discussions and events with
• more people from black, ethnic-minority and over 400 groups, including 200 businesses across
mixed race backgrounds. the city.
We need to start planning now to make sure The responses we received during the consultation
that the city can manage these predicted changes were analysed by an independent organisation.
to our population.
The top priorities to emerge were:
These are just some of the reasons we must think
ahead and plan for future success. • good quality, reliable public transport;
• a cleaner, greener city;
Developing our • new job opportunities;
new Vision • a sense of community spirit;
Between September and December 2010, we asked • good community relations;
the people who live and work in Leeds to tell us what
• safety; and
they wanted Leeds to be like in 2030 and their ideas
for how to make it happen. • great culture and entertainment.
06
Our Vision for 2030
Our purpose is to improve life for the people
of Leeds and make our city a better place.
We have listened carefully to what local people,
businesses and organisations have said.

Our Vision for 2030 is to be the best city in the UK

• Leeds will be fair, open and welcoming
• Leeds’ economy will be prosperous and sustainable
• All Leeds’ communities will be successful

Our aims
This Vision is about results. To become the best city we must work together to achieve our aims.
Our partnership will regularly publish City Priority Plans, setting out how we will make progress
and how we will achieve success.
 07

• our services meet the diverse needs

By 2030, Leeds will of our changing population;

be fair, open and • people can access support where

and when it is needed; and
welcoming • everyone is proud to live and work.

Leeds will be a place where everyone has

an equal chance to live their life successfully
and realise their potential. Leeds will By 2030, Leeds’
embrace new ideas, involve local people,
and welcome visitors and those who come
economy will be
here to live, work and learn.
prosperous and
To do this Leeds will be a city where: sustainable
• there is a strong community spirit and a shared We will create a prosperous and sustainable
sense of belonging, where people feel confident economy, using our resources effectively.
about doing things for themselves and others; Leeds will be successful and well-connected
• people from different backgrounds and ages offering a good standard of living.
feel comfortable living together in communities;
Leeds will be a city that has:
• local people have the power to make decisions
that affect them; • a strong local economy driving sustainable
• people are active and involved in their economic growth;
local communities; • a skilled workforce to meet the needs
• people are treated with dignity and respect of the local economy;
at all stages of their lives; • a world-class cultural offer;
• there is a culture of responsibility, respect • built on its strengths in financial and business
for each other and the environment; services, and manufacturing, and continued to
• the causes of unfairness are understood grow its strong retail, leisure and tourism, health
and addressed; and medical sectors, and its cultural, digital and
creative industries;
08

• developed new opportunities for green

manufacturing and for growing other By 2030, all Leeds’
new industries;
communities will
• improved levels of enterprise through
creativity and innovation; be successful
• opportunities for work with secure, flexible Our communities will thrive and people
employment and good wages; will be confident, skilled, enterprising,
• sufficient housing, including affordable housing, active and involved.
that meets the need of the community;
To do this Leeds will be a city where:
• high-quality, accessible, affordable and reliable
public transport; • people have the opportunity to get out
• increased investment in other forms of of poverty;
transport, such as walking and cycling • education and training helps more people
routes, to meet everyone’s needs; to achieve their potential;
• successfully achieved targets to make • communities are safe and people feel safe;
Leeds a lower carbon city;
• all homes are of a decent standard
• adapted to changing weather patterns; and everyone can afford to stay warm;
• a commitment to find new ways to reuse • healthy life choices are easier to make;
and recycle;
• people are motivated to reuse and recycle;
• increased its use of alternative energy
• there are more community-led businesses
supplies and locally produced food; and
that meet local needs;
• buildings that meet high sustainability
• local services, including shops and healthcare,
standards in the way they are built and run.
are easy to access and meet people’s needs;
• local cultural and sporting activities are available
to all; and
• there are high quality buildings, places and green
spaces, which are clean, looked after, and respect
the city’s heritage, including buildings, parks and
the history of our communities.
What do we mean 09

by best city?
We have set our Vision to be the best city in the UK.
Not the richest or the biggest, but the best for all
who live and work in Leeds - our children, our
communities and our businesses.
A place where everyone can enjoy a good quality internationally. We will aspire to make Leeds a place
of life and make choices. It applies to all our local where everyone has the same opportunity to enjoy
communities, as well as our towns and villages, the good health and education, and a choice of where
city centre, the Yorkshire region, and nationally and to live. We will embrace the opportunity to grow our
internationally. city, creating sustainable new jobs for local people.

To become the best city in the UK we need to The following pages show some of the areas
reduce the inequalities that exist and also compete where we want the Vision to make a difference.

Best city… for children

Leeds will be a child-friendly city where the voices, needs and priorities of children
and young people are heard and inform the way we make decisions and take action.
Our children will:

• be safe from harm;

• do well at all levels of learning and have skills for life;
• choose healthy lifestyles;
• have fun growing up; and
• be active citizens who feel they have voice and influence.
10 Best city… for business
Leeds will be a place, which encourages enterprise, competition and innovation
in the knowledge economy. It will be a city where:

• significant new job opportunities are created;

• businesses are supported to start up, innovate, thrive and grow;
• people choose sustainable travel options; and
• we all benefit from a low carbon economy.

Best city… for communities

Leeds will be a city of communities where people feel able to get involved
and make decisions, supported by the best council and the best public services
in the UK. It will be an attractive place to live, where:

• people are safe and feel safe;

• the city is clean and welcoming;
• people are active and involved in their communities; and
• people get on well together.
 Best city… for health and wellbeing 11
Leeds will be a healthy and caring city for all ages where:

• people live longer and have healthier lives;

• people are supported by high quality services to live full, active and independent lives; and
• inequalities in health are reduced, for example, people will not have poorer health because
of where they live, what group they belong to or how much money they have.

Best city… to live

Leeds will be a great place to live with good housing, and clean, green spaces,
where everyone can enjoy a good quality of life. It will be a city where:

• people can travel on good quality, reliable public transport and have access to walking
and cycling routes;
• the housing growth of the city is sustainable;
• houses to rent and buy will meet the needs of people at different stages of their lives;
• local people benefit from regeneration investment; and
• people enjoy world class culture, sport, leisure and entertainment.
12
Leeds and beyond
To make sure all this happens we need
to engage beyond our boundaries.

Best City Region Strong nationally

3
The Leeds City Region is the wider economic area, and internationally
whose economy is driven by Leeds, and upon whom Leeds will punch above its weight as the biggest city
Leeds relies for its economic success. For Leeds to be in the north, raising its profile to match, and making
economically successful, its surrounding areas need to sure that decision makers and opinion formers
be successful too. People travel and companies recruit understand the city and what it offers, its potential
across this area and to be the best city the city region and the needs of its communities.
also has to be effective.
We will make sure that Leeds gets the investment
We have created a Local Enterprise Partnership, and funding it needs for big national projects, such
led by business and involving the local councils. as high-speed rail. We will look for further changes,
Its priorities and programmes will help Leeds which enable us to make more decisions locally.
meet local priorities including:
We will build on the excellent reputation and
• attracting investment to create new jobs; international profile of our universities, our cultural
• meeting the skills needs of firms; offer, our hospitals and health care excellence, our
sporting facilities and teams and our businesses and
• delivering the city region transport strategy;
their expertise to create a city that is a world-class
• creating a wide range of housing choice and destination for all in a global economy.
affordability through regeneration;
• creating a low carbon economy; and
• developing enterprise zones to encourage
business growth.

3
The Leeds City Region brings together the eleven local authorities of Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Leeds, Kirklees, Selby, Wakefield,
York and North Yorkshire County Council to work together on areas such as transport, skills, housing, planning and innovation.
 13

Delivering the Vision

for Leeds 2011 to 2030
This Vision will be the driver for the city’s other These boards will be responsible for measuring
strategies and action plans and for our continued and tracking progress towards our Vision aims and
partnership working over the next 20 years. taking action to tackle any problems. But it is not
However, we know that it is difficult to anticipate just these boards that will help us to become the
all the changes that will take place between now best city in the UK. Our work is being supported
and 2030 and how those changes will affect the by many hundreds of organisations throughout the
city and the lives of those who live and work here. city and it is up to all of us to do what we can to
But we do know that there are urgent issues that help make Leeds the best place to live.
we need to address now. This is why, alongside this
long-term Vision for Leeds, we are publishing five
City Priority Plans to 2015, which set out the key
outcomes and priorities to be delivered by the
council, and its partners, over the next four years.

We have set up the Leeds Initiative Board and

five strategic partnership boards, made up of
organisations from the public, private and third
sectors, to oversee the work and progress on
the city priority plans and the Vision for Leeds.

These are:
• Children’s Trust Board;
• Sustainable Economy and Culture Board;
• Safer and Stronger Communities Board;
• Health and Wellbeing Board; and
• Housing and Regeneration Board.
14
All our documents, and the notes of all
our meetings, are on our website at
www.leedsinitiative.org

We can make this document available in Braille,

large print and audio format on request.

In producing the Vision for Leeds we have paid

due regard to equality issues and carried out
an equality impact assessment. We have also
undertaken a sustainability appraisal. These and
other supporting documents relating to this
Vision are available on our website.

They include:
• a report and analysis of the consultation;
• Understanding our city – a high-level summary
of progress and setbacks since the last Vision
for Leeds was published in 2004; and
• ‘Best City’ - a film.

www.leedsbestcity.org.uk es/La/SW/09.11/2K
The Leeds Initiative
Civic Hall
Portland Crescent
Leeds
LS1 1UR

+ 44 (0)113 2478989

email: [email protected]
web: leedsbestcity.org.uk
twitter: @leedsinitiative