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South Leeds Life | November 2021
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About us South Leeds Life is written by and for local people. People who live, work and play in the LS10 and LS11 areas of South Leeds. The website and newspaper are produced by South Leeds Life CIC, a social enterprise registered with Companies House, No 9998695. South Leeds Life is a member of the Independent Community News Network.
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Transport vision: a city where you don’t need a car T
he Connecting Leeds transport strategy has set out a vision for ‘Leeds to be a city where you don’t need a car’, where everyone has an affordable, low carbon, healthy and accessible choice in how they travel. Leeds City Council has today (12 October 2021) set out ambitious plans to further transform transport and travel in the city over the next 10 years. Following on from an unprecedented investment of £380 million of infrastructure improvements already completed or underway, the council has today unveiled its latest Connecting Leeds transport strategy for the city setting out detailed plans for further major improvements up to 2030. Among the highlights of the plan are to: • Contribute a reduction of up to 43 per cent in CO2 emissions from transport by 2030. • Aim for a 30 per cent reduction in car mileage and a 130
per cent increase in bus usage. • To consider further measures to reduce air pollution and CO2 emissions from transport to achieve 2030 Net-Zero carbon target. • Complete the first phase of investment in the public transport improvement programme, which sees until 2024, completing 30 infrastructure projects: • Transforming Leeds city centre, City Square, and city centre cycle walking and cycling improvements. • Outer ring road and bus corridor improvements, masterplans for Leeds Station and new rail stations at White Rose and Thorpe Park. • Understand how travel patterns have changed over the Covid-19 pandemic and how it will affect our priorities. • Review policies on road space re-allocation, spatial planning, and safe and sustainable travel. • Work alongside the Mayor and West Yorkshire Combined Authority
to secure more Government funding. • Continue with travel behaviour change initiatives across the Leeds district. The majority of public consultation responses endorse the approach, from just over 1,700 responses, 70 per cent agreed with the levels of ambition and vision.
n award-winning South Leeds brewery is expanding its production capacity and creating new jobs, after securing sevenfigure support from HSBC UK. Northern Monk, based in Holbeck, has used the funding from HSBC UK to acquire a BrauKon 60HL Brew House, increasing the brewery’s production capacity by 280 per cent, amounting to an extra two million gallons of beer per year. The expansion will provide Northern Monk with the capacity to create up to 14 new jobs, in roles operating the new brew kit, as well as within the expanding business operations. The brewery will use its increased brewing capacity to aim to grow its volume of exports by 50% per cent over the next 12 months. The brewery’s growth will enable Northern Monk to service more pubs and bars across the UK, whilst maintaining a growing supply to major retail partners. Russell Bisset, Founder and Managing Director of Northern Monk said: “This expansion will help us service the increase in demand for our products that we have been experiencing solidly over the past few years. The new brew kit will give us the opportunity to create lots of new beer and service larger contracts, whilst maintaining our commitment to high quality brewing.” Andrew Bennett, Area Director for
South & West Yorkshire, Business Banking at HSBC UK, said: “We are pleased to support Northern Monk and fund the latest development of an incredibly exciting business. As the hospitality trade opens again, we look forward to seeing the business continue to grow both domestically and
The Northern Monk brewery in Holbeck
The feedback also found that more needs to be done to reduce transport carbon emissions, but promisingly 58 per cent of replies said they are willing to change to a lower carbon mode. Leeds City Council Leader Councillor James Lewis, said: “We need to continue to get people to move away from their cars to reduce air pollution and deliver an affordable, reliable, safe and zero carbon public transport network for the city which supports streets for people and unlocks the power of transport for a fairer, greener and a more prosperous Leeds.”
The strategy aims to improve public transport
Holbeck brewery expansion will create jobs A
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internationally.” Northern Monk is a Best Companies 2-star accredited independent brewery. Northern Monk recently came 60th in the UK’s 100 Best Small Companies to Work for 2021, 46th in Yorkshire & The Humber’s 75 Best Companies to work for 2021 and placed 6th in
the Food and Drink top 10. Additionally, the business was recently named ‘Yorkshire’s Fasting Growing company’ in the Ward Hadaway Yorkshire Fastest 50 and placed 49th on the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies list. The funding was allocated from HSBC UK’s national SME Fund, part of its commitment to help British businesses innovate and grow as the country looks to rebound from the Covid-19 health crisis. The new £15 billion SME Fund has been announced by HSBC UK, with £400 million committed to supporting SMEs in West Yorkshire.
