Richard Harker

Councillor Richard Harker, executive board member for education at Leeds City Council, said:

“We are transforming learning across Leeds through state-of-the-art buildings and 21^{st-century provision. To be nominated for these three awards is a recognition of the successes achieved so far and the effort put in by many different partners.”}

 

Leeds’ Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme has been shortlisted for the first national annual awards to celebrate the transformation of education across the country. The submissions for three prestigious Excellence in BSF National Awards will compete with others from 19 nominated local authorities from across England which have been selected by judges from the design community, construction industry, educationalists, students and BSF delivery partners.

 

The three categories Leeds has been shortlisted in at the Excellence in BSF Awards are: Innovation in ICT (competing against Haringey and Lambeth); Best School Team (competing against Brislington Enterprise College, Bristol) and; Best Operational LEP (competing against Newcastle and STaG - South Tyneside and Gateshead). Innovation in ICT includes a flexible, creative model for teaching and learning which supports students, the family and their local community, highlighted by the state-of the-art equipment and facilities - such as iPods, PSPs, interactive whiteboards, camcorders and media resources - as well as access to anytime anywhere world-wide learning resources via the school network. The Best School Team award recognises how teachers and other school staff have made the best use of the new facilities for the benefit of young people. At Cockburn College of Arts, performance, achievement and attainment have improved in a number of key indicators during the school’s transition under the BSF programme. In 2005, 35 per cent of young people got 5+ A*-C GCSEs. In 2008, that figure rose to 53 per cent.

 

Leeds City Council’s and Education Leeds’ involvement with its partners the E4L Consortium and the LEP (Local Education Partnership)*, which resulted in nearly £40m being saved through an efficient procurement process, is evidence of strong and effective partnership working within the BSF programme.

 

The awards have been organised by Partnerships for Schools (PfS), which is delivering BSF across the UK, and will take place in London on 26 November.

 

Liberal  Democrats in Moortown & Meanwood have welcomed a decision by the Government to abandon proposals to hand over the payment of pensions and benefits from post offices to a private company.

Thousands of elderly people, carers, disabled people and claimants in Moortown & Meanwood currently use their local post offices to receive their pensions and benefits through the Post Office Card Account.

But earlier this year ministers invited bids from private companies as well as the Post Office for the contract to pay out pensions and benefits from 2010.

Had the Post Office lost the contract, up to 6,000 more post offices could have gone to the wall as a result of the lost business. These unmanaged closures would have been in addition to the 2,500 “managed” closures which the Government has already announced.

“The Government’s u-turn is welcome here in Moortown & Meanwood,” said Richard Harker. “It means our post offices have a better chance of staying open.

“But this is a u-turn that should never have had to happen in the first place. The Government should have realised the importance of post offices to communities and awarded the new contract to the network without these months of delay.

“Instead, local branches have had to deal with the uncertainty that ministerial dithering and unnecessary contracting processes has caused.

“Hopefully, local branches can now plan ahead knowing they will continue to pay out pensions and benefits. But we are also calling on the Government to carry out another u-turn.

“They must stop putting pressure on pensioners and benefit claimants to get their cash paid through the banks. People should have a choice.”

The Liberal Democrats have consistently been ahead of the game on economic issues. Here is a list of ten things we called for first, and which have now either been implemented or taken on board by at least one of the other two main parties.

Northern Rock nationalisation - it was clear to us that this was unavoidable in November last year. It took the Government until February to act.

Independence of the Bank of England - longstanding Lib Dem policy. First Labour implemented it, over Tory opposition. Now even the Tories support it.

Recapitalisation of the banks - Vince Cable was the first politician to call for this. Three days later the Chancellor announced that this would be going ahead.

Tackling the bonus culture - in May we were the first party to put forward proposals for tackling the harmful bonus culture in the financial sector. By the autumn, ministers and the Tory leadership had realised the situation was indefensible and changed their tune.

Regulation of ’sale and rent back’ agreements - this was part of our ‘7 point plan’ for dealing with personal debt, launched in September 2003. The Government announced on 22nd October this year that they were finally looking into this.

New court guidance to make repossession a ‘last resort’, obliging lenders to exhaust all alternatives first - another measure in the Government’s 22 nd. October announcement that the Lib Dems had been calling for for more than six months.

Changes to capital adequacy laws to require banks to hold more capital in periods of boom and less in recession - we called for this back in January 2003. Now the Conservatives back it too.

Ban on short selling of financial stocks - Vince Cable urged this on September 16th (having also raised the issue in July). The Government did not act until three days later, once the Americans had announced restrictions.

National network of financial advice centres - since 2003 we have been calling for a network of local and generic financial advice, particularly for those on lower incomes, funded by a levy on the financial services industry. Earlier this year the Tories announced their support for this too, using almost exactly the same language.

Curbs on irresponsible lending - a commonplace sentiment now, but we called for “the publication by the Government of strict measures for responsible lending, which lenders must be required to observe” back in September 2003.

More than a third of pensioners are receiving the wrong benefit payments as a result of mistakes in the system, the Government has admitted.  Councillor Richard Harker “The benefits system is now so complicated that it would appear that officials cannot cope with it.  Pensioners deserve better.The government has had to admit that more than a million elderly are not receiving benefits they are entitled to. It has been estimated that elderly people have missed out on £90 million.  That the errors were substantially caused by official error and not wrong information.Jenny Willott,  Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesman, said: “Pensioners will continue to miss out and be put off claiming unless it can be made to work effectively. “The Government must end complicated benefits for pensioners and introduce a universal, higher state pension which increases in line with earnings - it’s the only way to deliver a fair deal for all pensioners.”

The Cenotaph in Leeds city centre has had conservation work carried out on it ahead of Remembrance Sunday which this year marks the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War.  The £15,000 project on the war memorial on Victoria Gardens on The Headrow involves work being carried out to clean the stonework and bronze and repair areas which have suffered erosion over time.  

Funded by Leeds City Council’s Parks and Countryside Service and City Centre Leeds, the work has been carried out by a team of specialists whose experience includes working on the Statue of Liberty in New York. It will be completed in time for the annual service of remembrance on Sunday November 9th, when civic dignitaries will join war veterans, current servicemen and women and members of the public at the Cenotaph to honour those who have fallen in all wars serving their country.  

The Leeds cenotaph was designed by famous Designed by famous London sculptor Henry Charles Fehr, the Leeds Cenotaph features the female figure of Peace on one side and St George defeating the dragon on the other. Above them both is an angel depicted carrying six roses – each representing 150,000 UK troops who died in the First World War.  When it was first unveiled by the Earl of Harewood in 1922 it was originally located in City Square, but when the layout of City Square was altered it was moved to its present location on The Headrow in 1936.

Cllr. Richard Harker commenting on the visit said: “Too often we forget the inward investment that comes from the European Union that bebefits Leeds and the Yorkshire and Humber Region. I very much enjoyed meeting the delegation and talking about what our great city has to offer Europe.”

A group of dignitaries comprising 15 European ambassadors and 12 other high level embassy officials representing 24 out of the 27 European Union member states are visiting Leeds today.

Liberal Democrat Council Leader Councillor Richard Brett hosted a reception to welcome the delegation to Leeds when they visited the Holbeck Urban Village, an £800m regeneration scheme in south, which is partly funded by EU money.

Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor Richard Brett said:

“We are delighted to welcome such a prestigious group of embassy officials to the city of Leeds. We are proud to show them parts of Holbeck Urban Village, which is poised to become one of the most dynamic business and residential developments in the UK.

There is no better setting to demonstrate the evolution of the city, and show the rest of Europe what Leeds has to offer.”

His Excellency Mr Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, Ambassador of France said:

“The French Presidency of the European Union is keen to bring Europe closer to the people, and get a better understanding of the impact it has on daily life. In order to do this, my colleagues and I, European Union Ambassadors and High Commissioners to

the United Kingdom, have decided to see what Europe means in a thriving, modern, British city. We are keen to visit Leeds because of the many successes that the city has had, and are looking forward to learning more about the exemplary plans for development and regeneration that have been put in place by Leeds City Council to such impressive effect.”

Cllr Richard Harker  ” This is fantastic news and will be welcomed by many families here in Moortown and Meanwood.” 

 Disabled children in Leeds will soon be able to enjoy short breaks away from home in a new state-of-the-art centre, thanks to a contract signed in Leeds this week. Leeds City Council and the Leeds Independent Living Accommodation Company (LiLAC) have signed a contract to deliver a short break unit in Armley. Construction is due to begin in January 2009, with completion planned for February 2010. To be known as Rainbow House, the new building will provide stimulating short breaks for up to 12 children and young people at a time. It will also allow parents and carers vital time to spend away from their caring role, or with other members of the family.

The name was chosen as a result of a competition among disabled children, which was won by Kristina Pollard, who received a prize and certificate during a fun-day when children also designed a logo for the building.

The short-break unit will have 12 bedrooms, each with en-suite facilities and will be fully accessible to wheelchair users throughout. Three bedrooms will be in a specially designed self-help unit for young people over 14 to develop their independent living skills.

 

Liberal Democrat Cllr Stewart Golton, executive board member for Children’s Services, said:

“It’s really fantastic news that Rainbow House is to become a reality. Disabled children and young people deserve the best we can give them and I’m confident that many young lives will be enriched by the opportunities that will be on offer there.

“The young people will be helped to gain confidence by being away from the home setting, in preparation for adult life.

“It will also mean that parents and carers take a break to re-charge batteries and spend time with family and friends, who often have to take a back seat when there is a disabled

Leeds has been invited to take part in the Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme (LCVPP), following a successful bid against 72 other local authorities. Selected on a number of criteria, including evidence of their desire to reduce carbon

emissions, Leeds will join Glasgow, Liverpool, Coventry, and Newcastle as the five authorities chosen to participate. The authorities will join the Royal Mail, Government Car and Dispatch Agency, HMRC, Environment Agency, Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police in the first phase of the £20m programme. The purpose of the LCVPP is to speed up the introduction of reliable lower carbon technologies into public sector fleets by funding the additional cost of lower carbon vehicles over conventional alternatives. A range of low carbon and all electric vans will be trialled in limited numbers to assess their performance, reliability and CO2 savings. Subject to successful development of the first phase, a wider roll out across the public sector may be

supported. The ultimate goal of the programme is to encourage confidence in the new technologies and the resulting economies of scale, which will make the vehicles more easily affordable to the wider market.

Liberal Democrat Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor Richard Brett said:

“We are delighted to have been invited to participate in this programme. Taking part in the Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme will give Leeds City Council the opportunity to investigate new vehicle technology without the financial risks.

The council made a commitment to reducing its carbon emissions by signing the Nottingham Declaration in 2006, and since then measures to reduce carbon emissions in transport have been integral to a number of council plans and policies. It is anticipated that this project will boost efforts to promote more sustainable modes of travel, and will hopefully lead to a wider take-up of these new technologies across Leeds.”

Notes

Many high level Leeds City Council policies, strategies and related initiatives, headline the need to reduce carbon emissions and promote more sustainable transport. The key driversinclude:-

·The Leeds Strategic Plan 2008-11

• Reduce ecological & carbon footprints from all sectors, promote changing behaviours. (Draft)The Climate Change Strategy for Leeds

• Revised target to reduce LCC carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, relative to 1990 levels, plus targets for National Indicator (NI) 185 (CO2 reduction from local authority operations).

• Consultation process identified our transport policy as being rather weak, with 60% of respondents requesting stronger actions to promote more sustainable transport. ·(Draft) Strategic EMAS Register

• EMAS Objectives, KPI’s & Environmental Policy, all refer to measures that will promote more sustainable transport & reduce carbon emissions

·The Leeds Waste Strategy

• Potential use of renewable energy for transport (Green electricity, bio-methane)

·The Leeds Air Quality Strategy

• Action Plan compliments the use of low carbon transport, similar benefits for reduced carbon as for air pollutants emissions

The transport sector currently contributes approximately 32% of total UK emissions of greenhouse gases. It is the only major sector where emissions are not being reduced. Within the transport sector, road transport accounts for about 70% of total transport

emissions.

Cllr. Richard Harker, executive member for learning said: “Parents bringing children to school by car must be more aware of pedestrians when parking outside schools. Some parents take incredible and unnecessary risks when picking up and dropping off their children.”

Dangerous parking outside some schools in Leeds is creating a potential hazard for children. Parked cars can prevent other drivers from seeing a child trying to cross the road, and cars partially parked on the pavement can obstruct the walkway, forcing people to walk on the road. Cars waiting outside school with the engine running produce a concentration of exhaust fumes, which can affect those most at risk from air pollution.

Leeds City Council’s road safety promotion team provide road safety education and training, and participate in local, regional and national road safety publicity campaigns. A team of road safety trainers provide classroom and practical sessions in road safety to schools in Leeds.

The road safety team are involved in initiatives to alleviate the problem of school gate parking. A banner has been provided to discourage parking outside primary schools for each ward area in Leeds, and ‘Mini Police’ school gate parking events happen regularly across the city. This initiative gives year six children the chance to dress in police uniform and patrol the area outside their school with a uniformed police officer, to talk to drivers who are parking dangerously.

Parents who have to bring their children to school by car could try ‘park and stride’. This involves parents dropping off their children at a designated area away from the school, so they can then continue their journey to school on foot. By parking away from the school, the area around the school entrance is less congested, which means that children won’t have to cross between parked cars. Children also benefit from getting more exercise and are able to socialise with other pupils by walking a short distance to school.

Some schools operate a ‘walking bus’ scheme, where volunteer parents collect childrenalong a specified route to walk to and from school. They all wear fluorescent/reflective tabards and walk and cross the road safely.

Senior Leeds councillors are headed to Westminster this week for high-level discussions about how the current economic problems are affecting Leeds and to press for action.

An all-party delegation of politicians and senior council officers will meet with Rosie Winterton, Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber on 29 October to ‘make the case’ for Leeds and help protect jobs and bring investment opportunities for the city.

Last week, councillors welcomed plans by the Treasury to target spending on large building projects including schools and housing schemes.

 

Liberal Democrat Councillor Richard Brett, Leader of Leeds City Council, said:

“This meeting gives politicians from all parties the opportunity to present a Leeds perspective on the current financial situation in order to ensure that our concerns are highlighted. We know people are experiencing tough times and we hope we can discuss ways how we can lessen the impacts of the economic downturn for our residents.”

Concervative Councillor Andrew Carter, Deputy Leader of Leeds City Council, said:

“We are acting with a united voice to discuss how jobs and businesses can be protected and seek ways to keep the economy moving during this difficult financial period. Leeds is an economic force for the local regional economy and we want to get some reassurance from the Minister that she believes that the city’s economy is important.”

Councillor Keith Wakefield, Leader of Leeds Labour Group, said:

“I am delighted that we are meeting the Minister this week, with representation across political parties. We will be discussing how jobs can be protected and how investment into the city can be maintained. It’s our jobs to make the case for Leeds and stand side by side with local people feeling the pinch.”

The meeting will be attended by Cllr Brett (Liberal Democrat), Cllr Anderson (Conservative), Cllr Wakefield (Labour), Cllr Finnigan (Morley Borough Independents) and senior council officers. Councillors from the Green Party were unable to attend.