Derelict Wetherby children's home could become housing
A Leeds City Council planning panel was shown an early-stage presentation of project, ahead of full planning permission being sought, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.The report detailed how the19th century building was in a state of disrepair, with doors and windows boarded up and no roof."This site is rich in history and heritage," said architect Lee Vincent, adding "we acknowledge the need to provide high-quality design and [will] do what we can to maintain the memory of Bramham House"."However, the site has been derelict for decades and was allocated for housing more than 20 years ago."According to council planning policy, 35% of homes in the development should be classed as affordable.But the developer's report stated "abnormal costs" on the project meant none could be provided.Any affordable homes provision in the project would be subject to an independent financial assessment.Wetherby councillor Alan Lamb, who leads the city's Conservative Group, said the site had been impacted by anti-social behaviour and fires: "It's been an ongoing issue in my ward since before I became a councillor in 2007."The councillor said affordable homes, along with parking and road safety, were the main concerns for people living nearby, but conceded, the report indicated "it's a complex site to develop".Previous plans for Bramham House, which was used as an ambulance station at one stage, included a care home scheme which was approved in 2020.
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
27 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The one change that worked: I grew my own vegetables – and suddenly stopped wasting food
From calendar-keeping to cooking, for years, my hyper-organised personality crept into every corner of my life. I would save Instagram recipe videos and cuttings from weekend newspapers and use them to plan shopping lists with grand ideas about midweek dinners: a white bean stew pencilled in for one night, tacos another, homemade burgers another. I was always overambitious. You would think this level of planning would translate into less food waste. But a busy routine working in London, often with last-minute events and long commutes, meant I was too tired to make anything when I came home. By Wednesday, I would fill up with shop-bought sushi or soup. More often than not, I would get to the end of the week with a fridge full of wilted ingredients, which I would quietly chuck into the food waste. I felt guilt and shame, but I was stuck in a loop. It took an audit of my spending last summer to get myself in check. During that time, I also decided to grow tomatoes in the garden of my shared flat. I was a novice gardener, but soon I became obsessed with caring for these plants. It was as if a switch had been flicked in my mind – as if it had taken the idea of growing my own food to truly understand the value and timescale of food production. I made a commitment to myself then and there to change my habits. Now, I save every last scrap of uneaten food and integrate it into my next meal: using cubes of stale bread to bulk up soups, or cracking an egg or two into a three-day-old chilli for a breakfast shakshuka. I have a container of vegetable skins in the freezer, which I'm planning to boil for stock. Quick-pickled carrots or cucumbers, with a splash of soy, are a go-to for brightening boring carbs. When I can, I'll pick up Too Good to Go boxes, which contain surplus food from local cafes, restaurants and bakeries for reduced prices, and challenge myself to make something quick and tasty from the random assortment. It's usually a soup, or 'stovies' – a Scottish dish made with boiled potatoes and whatever meat is available. I also broke the closed-minded rules I had cemented in my head about food. Fruit can go with savoury dishes, for instance – apples work well in curries, while berries add colour to a salad. I used to shy away from beige on beige, but leftover roast potatoes with garlic and spaghetti is a new favourite. A lot of this is probably obvious to most people – but for me, it has been something of a breakthrough, although not without a few flavour disasters. I've learned that Sichuan pepper and mint should be used sparingly, and that it is possible to add too much chocolate to a chilli. My way to make anything edible is to cover it in sriracha. I'm less ambitious with midweek meals now, but I'm much more creative. I have saved money and time, and will no longer wince when I open the fridge at the end of the week. It's been freeing, in a way – and has helped me embrace spontaneity in other parts of my life, such as social plans. Best of all, I've rediscovered what I loved about cooking in the first place: the joy of making something delicious out of almost nothing.
BBC News
30 minutes ago
- BBC News
Belfast: First warning tags issued on overflowing bins
A new tagging system to encourage households to put items in the right bins and stop overflowing containers, is being rolled out in tag will explain how to dispose of waste City Council has said it will also make it safer for operators to empty bins into lorries on collection day. From Monday bins which breach the new rules will receive a 'first warning' amber tag. From 29 September, red tags will be issued for bins which continue to overflow, or have a liner. Those bins will not be collected. What are the rules? No bin liners in any bins (these are bin liners, not bin bags)Bin lids must be fully closedNo extra bin bags beside bins – these will not be liftedClearly mark your house number on your bins and boxesOnly one black bin per household, unless previously approved for extra capacitySort recycling properly. Any incorrect items could mean no collectionPut bins out by 7am and bring them back in by 8pm on your collection day Councillor Ruth Brooks said other councils already follow similar guidelines."While our crews have always done their best to support households on collection day, we need to take a consistent approach to how bins are presented and emptied city-wide," she added.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Suffolk farmers and firefighters team-up to combat county's fires
Farmers and firefighters hope a new appliance will help them combat rural fires after the number of wildfires in their county more than doubled. Specialist adaptors that enable firefighters to connect to water bowsers and other farm-based water sources have been distributed across Suffolk. The trial initiative has been developed by the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), the county's branch of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), and local data obtained by the BBC revealed there were 165 wildfires in the county in the first six months of this year, compared with 76 in the first six months of 2024. Glenn Buckingham, a farmer from Framsden who is the chair of the NFU in Suffolk, has two tanks on his farm that can each contain up to 1,000 gallons (4,546 litres) of water – enough to fill up five fire engines, which can empty in three dealing with a fire, crews could use a new universal coupling device to connect to the tanks."The loss of a crop or machinery, or heaven forbid someone suffers burns in a fire, would be dramatic, and we want to help stop that," added Mr Buckingham. "We don't mind who we help and we are happy for firefighters to come along whenever to take [water] for whatever type of fire it might be," he added."It's about looking out for each other and helping each other and if we have got water available then surely it is right to be helping," he said. The idea for the collaboration was first raised in November 2022 after the SFRS recorded its most severe wildfire season in more than a decade, with crews tackling 370 wildfires in July and August."I was therefore very encouraged by the idea that a simple adapter could help our firefighters work more efficiently when tackling fires in the open," said Jon Lacey, SFRS's chief fire officer."Even though the current weather has taken a cooler turn and the immediate risk of large-scale wildfires is reduced, harvesting is under way."That's why it's important to remain vigilant." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
