THE LEEDS BRIEF ⏰ Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Good morning, Leeds! Big news from Stourton today as Microsoft's major data centre gets the council's blessing - the most significant inward investment story for the city in years. Meanwhile, it's all eyes on the ballot box with elections now just 8 days away, and if you're anywhere near the A660 come the 10th of May, time to dust off your diversion routes. Here's everything you need to know this Wednesday. 👇

🗳️ ELECTIONS - 8 DAYS TO GO

📅 Leeds City Council Elections: Thursday 7 May 2026 - Polling day is just over a week away. Voting takes place 7 am–10 pm across all 33 wards, with 36 seats up for grabs. Photo ID is required at polling stations. Results will be declared on Friday, 8 May. Not registered yet? Unfortunately, the deadline was 20 April — but if you're registered, check your poll card for your polling station, which may have changed this year. (Source: Leeds City Council)

🎤 Hunslet & Riverside Ward Hustings - Held Last Night - South Leeds Life hosted an online hustings for Hunslet & Riverside ward last night (Tuesday 28 April), putting all candidates to questions on fly-tipping, artificial sports pitches, and community representation. With eight days to polling, ward hustings across the city are ramping up. (Source: South Leeds Life)

📰 NEWS

🏗️ Microsoft's Massive Data Centre Gets the Green Light - £4bn for Leeds - Leeds City Council has unanimously approved Microsoft's hyperscale data centre campus at the former Skelton Grange power station site in Stourton, south-east Leeds. The scheme covers approximately 500,000 sq ft across three data halls, with a further 160,000 sq ft of warehousing on an adjoining plot. The development is projected to unlock around £4bn of inward investment for the region - site clearance starts this year, construction begins 2027. (Sources: Place Yorkshire · Prolific North)

☀️ Horsforth Community Hub Gets Solar Panels - Six Months After Initial Refusal - Leeds City Council planners have approved 35 roof-mounted solar panels at The Grove community centre on Town Street in Horsforth — six months after an earlier application was knocked back for placing panels on the street-facing elevation. The revised design puts them on east and south-facing roof sections away from the conservation area. The Grove hosts scouts, luncheon clubs, cinema screenings and mother and toddler groups, and cited soaring energy costs as the key driver. (Source: West Leeds Dispatch)

🎵 Leeds MP Warns Planning Bill Leaves Music Venues Dangerously Exposed - Alex Sobel MP (Leeds Central and Headingley) pushed back in Parliament on Monday as MPs voted 269 to 170 to strip the "agent of change" principle from the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. The principle would have forced developers to fund soundproofing on new homes built near music venues - instead of leaving venues exposed to noise complaints from new neighbours. The Communities Minister said existing planning guidance was sufficient; Sobel said it "does not adequately protect venues" already under pressure from business rate rises. (Source: Yorkshire Evening Post)

🛢️ Greenpeace Activists Plaster Bus Stops Near Rachel Reeves' Bramley Office with North Sea Oil Posters - Leeds Greenpeace volunteers replaced commercial advertising at every bus stop within one kilometre of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' constituency office in the Bramley shopping centre on Tuesday evening. Posters showing Reeves in front of an oil rig read "Drills won't lower bills," pressing her to block new drilling permits for the Rosebank and Jackdaw North Sea fields. The government has yet to issue a final decision on both fields, following a court ruling that overturned earlier permits on environmental grounds. (Source: Prolific North)

💼 BUSINESS & ECONOMY

🏢 Leeds Office Take-Up Dips Slightly, but Rents Hit Record Highs - City centre office take-up in Leeds last year fell marginally short of 2024 figures, according to the Leeds Office Agents Forum (LOAF), though it remains in line with the long-term average. The bigger story is supply: Grade A availability dropped by over 60% in 2025, the sharpest fall in 15 years, pushing rents past £40 per sq ft for standing stock and towards £50 per sq ft on new builds. Leeds' office vacancy rate of around 6.6% remains the lowest of any major UK city. (Sources: Insider Media · Place Yorkshire)

🤝 Hayward Wright Accountancy Group Expands into Yorkshire via Leeds Merger - Midlands-based chartered accountancy group Hayward Wright has merged with a Leeds firm, making its first move into the Yorkshire market. The practice - which serves over 1,500 clients from offices in the Midlands — described the deal as an exciting new chapter and a step toward expanding its regional reach. (Source: Insider Media

#growth #merger #accountancy #leeds #yorkshire | Hayward Wright

We’ve got some exciting news to share! As part of our growth plan, we have expanded into Yorkshire and merged with Auker Rhodes, an independent accountancy practice based in Leeds. This is an incredibly exciting time for everyone here at Hayward Wright as we expand our footprint outside of the Midlands region for the first time, following a strong period of organic growth. Auker Rhodes was established in 2010 by Grant Rudloff, Richard Kenyon, and Richard Doyle as an independent firm of chartered accountants and business advisers serving owner-manager businesses, SMEs, and individuals across Yorkshire. They have built an outstanding practice with a talented team that focuses on long-term client relationships backed by excellent service delivery, and we are delighted that they are now part of our wider group. Alistair Hayward-Wright, Director and Head of Acquisitions, had this to say about this exciting news: “This is an exciting new chapter for the Hayward Wright group as we expand our footprint and presence beyond the Midlands and into Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region. Merging with like-minded practices across the UK is a key part of our strategic growth plan, and from the outset, we knew that Auker Rhodes was a great fit.” Please join us in welcoming Grant, Richard, Richard, and their team to Hayward Wright. You can read more about this exciting news on our website here: https://lnkd.in/ePx32VfH #Growth #Merger #Accountancy #Leeds #Yorkshire

LinkedInHayward Wright

📣 Northern Marketing Festival Leeds Agenda Revealed - 13 May at Aspire Leeds - Prolific North has unveiled the programme for the Leeds leg of the Northern Marketing Festival 2026, running 9am–3:45pm on 13 May. Speakers include voices from Channel 4's new social-first food channel, Uber Advertising, Yorkshire Tea, and AI specialists from Definition. Topics span FMCG brand strategy, audience-first marketing and cutting through AI noise. Tickets via Eventbrite. (Source: Prolific North)

✈️ LEEDS BRADFORD AIRPORT

🌱 LBA Achieves Level 4 Carbon Accreditation - the Highest Available Status - Leeds Bradford Airport has reached Level 4 of the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, the top tier, recognising airports that actively engage supply chains and users in carbon reduction — not just managing their own footprint. The milestone comes during the ongoing multi-million-pound LBA:REGEN regeneration programme, due for completion by end-2027. (Sources: Yorkshire Evening Post · International Airport Review, Leeds Bradford Airport).

📶 All Four UK Mobile Networks Now Live Across LBA's New Terminal Extension - Connectivity provider Freshwave has deployed its Omni Network across 85,000 sq ft of the new LBA terminal — covering baggage reclaim, food and retail outlets including World Duty Free, and staff zones — giving passengers reliable 4G regardless of their network. A further 44,000 sq ft including the new security area goes live soon. The terminal's floor area is increasing by 38% overall under LBA:REGEN. (Sources: The Fast Mode · ISPreview)

🚨 CRIME & COURTS

🍾 Burglars Smash Through Roof of Leeds Convenience Store to Steal Alcohol - Burglars caused significant damage to a Leeds convenience store, breaking through the roof to steal several bottles of alcohol. West Yorkshire Police are investigating. (Source: Yorkshire Evening Post

🖕 Handcuffed TK Maxx Shoplifter Makes His Feelings Very Clear on the Headrow - A 32-year-old man arrested for theft and common assault at TK Maxx on the Headrow last Saturday went viral after a bystander filmed him giving a double-handed obscene gesture from the back of a police car while in cuffs. "Knock it off," an officer told him on the footage. He has been charged with theft from a shop and common assault. (Source: Leeds Live)

⛓️ HMP Leeds Is the Second Most Overcrowded Prison in England - HMP Leeds is holding 61% more prisoners than it was built for — making it the second most overcrowded jail in England, behind only the scandal-hit HMP Wandsworth at 62% over capacity, according to the latest Ministry of Justice figures. The figures highlight the ongoing national prison crisis concentrated in Category B remand prisons like Leeds, which handle a constantly churning short-term population. (Sources: Yorkshire Post · LBC)

🌍 ENVIRONMENT

💧 Yorkshire Water Starts Its 10th Storm Overflow Project in Leeds - Yorkshire Water has begun the second of three planned storm overflow projects in Horsforth, installing two underground storage tanks on Newlay Grove as part of its wider £1.5bn regional investment. Together with an earlier Fraser Avenue scheme and a third project planned for Newlaithes Road (summer 2026), the combined £7m Horsforth investment creates 300,000 litres of stormwater storage to prevent River Aire discharges. The programme is targeting a 72% reduction in Leeds overflow discharges by 2030. (Source: West Leeds Dispatch)

🚤 Floating Bookshop in Leeds Dock Starts Testing River Aire Water Quality - Hold Fast, the floating bookshop moored at Leeds Dock, has signed up with citizen science project Planet Patrol and is now running fortnightly water quality tests - testing for phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, pH and temperature — inspired (and worried) by the 'Dirty Business' documentary about the water company sewage scandal. Early results suggest reasonable water quality, though slightly acidic. They're keen for others living nearer the River Aire itself to join them in taking measurements. (Source: South Leeds Life)

👥 COMMUNITY

😊 Leeds Charity Gives Formerly Homeless Man His "Final Piece of the Jigsaw" - A 63-year-old Leeds man who had been homeless and was living in a hostel has been given a fresh start thanks to charity Homeless Street Angels, which funded dental treatment that restored his confidence and set him on a more stable path. Co-founder Becky Joyce said dental care is often the final piece of the puzzle for people rebuilding after homelessness, alongside food bank referrals, housing support and money management help. The charity runs entirely on public donations - a Guardian Angel subscription scheme starts from £2 a month. (Source: Leeds Live)

🌳 Leeds' Oldest Charity Makes the Case for Green Space as a Health Service - Wade's Charity (founded 1530) has highlighted the direct link between proximity to parks and reduced childhood obesity, as government figures show more than 30% of children aged 2–15 are now overweight or obese. The charity owns Middleton Park, Gotts Park in Armley, Beckett Park in Headingley and numerous playing fields across south and east Leeds, all leased to Leeds City Council at peppercorn rents, and is urging parents, schools and youth groups to activate these spaces more for children. (Source: South Leeds Life)

🎓 EDUCATION

🎤 South Leeds Students Perform on the Wembley Arena Stage for 13,000 People - 43 students from the three Cockburn Multi-Academy Trust secondary schools travelled to London in March to take part in the Voice in a Million choral concert at Wembley Arena. The Cockburn cohort was selected to perform Coldplay's 'A Sky Full of Stars' on the main stage - complete with mirror-image choreography - in front of a crowd of 13,000. The trip was part-funded by a West Yorkshire Music Hub and ArtForms enrichment grant. (Source: South Leeds Life)

♻️ SUSTAINABILITY

🌱 Leeds Events Firm First Event Pledges 500 Annual Volunteer Hours in Sustainability Push - Yeadon-based, employee-owned event company First Event committed 500 hours of staff time to community volunteering on Earth Day (22 April), with 65 employees cleaning streets with Litter Pick Leeds, repainting Bradford North Food Bank using repurposed paints from social enterprise Seagulls, and bucket collecting for Bradford Neonatal Unit. The business has also completed mandatory Carbon Literacy Training for all staff, conducted a full carbon audit, and is calling on the wider events industry to adopt similar standards by 2030. (Source: Event Industry News)

🏃 SPORT & TRAVEL

🏅 Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon - Road Closure Alert for 10 May - The Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon takes place on Sunday 10 May, starting and finishing at AMT Headingley Stadium, with over 13,000 entrants across the marathon and half marathon. Major road closures are in place across Headingley, Lawnswood, Bramhope, Pool in Wharfedale and Otley from as early as 4am. The A660 Otley Road corridor closes from 7:30am; Otley and Pool closures from 9am. Roads reopen on a rolling basis. Use Park & Ride from Elland Road or Stourton — no dedicated event parking in Headingley. The marathon raises funds for the MND Association, Leeds Hospitals Charity, Candlelighters and St Gemma's Hospice. Full closure map at Run For All. (Sources: Yorkshire Evening Post · Leeds City Council)