Leeds councillors round-up: Pudsey traffic lights, Headingley noise, Alwoodley cash and Rothwell waste

Action taken to tackle Headingley noise nuisance Dreams of a quiet life may soon be a reality for long-suffering Headingley residents, as steps are taken to reduce noise from two student halls of residence. Councillors James Monaghan, Jamie Matthews and Martin Hamilton (Lib Dem, Headingley) have been working closely with residents, university representatives and the police to tackle noise nuisance linked to Devonshire and James Baillie halls of residence. A quiet zone is being piloted around Devonshire Hall and North Hill Road, close to James Baillie Hall, in an effort to resolve the thorny problem of student lifestyles disturbing neighbouring families and professionals. Local councillors and the university have paid for signs to be put up around the residential area and the University of Leeds has marketed Devonshire Hall as a quiet hall. All prospective residents have been warned that late night noise could result in them being fined or asked to leave the building. Monaghan said: "It is great news that this scheme has got off the ground before the new university term. I want to thank the university representatives for their hard work and co-operation. Hopefully, our combined efforts will make a positive difference to this community. "Student lifestyles can be pretty disruptive and late night noise is especially frustrating for those who need to be up early for work or with children. To make sure everyone can enjoy all that Headingley has to offer, residents simply have to be considerate of one another's needs. "Making this area a quiet zone should alert people to that fact. Where rules are broken the university can also now take firm disciplinary action." Putting an end to noisy neighbours As the new university term gets under way this week, a local councillor is urging students to think of their neighbours while they make the most of the city's nightlife. Councillor James Monaghan (Lib Dem, Headingley) is calling on students to keep noise levels to a minimum in residential streets late at night and in the early hours of the morning. Having worked closely with university representatives on schemes such as the Headingley quiet zone, Monaghan is confident that action will be taken to tackle noisy student neighbours. If residents do experience persistent noise nuisance they can call the Leeds City Council noise nuisance team on 0113 222 4406 or the university's 24 hour Neighbourhood Helpline on 0113 343 1064. This university voicemail service allows residents to raise concerns with the assurance that messages will be responded to within 24 hours. Monaghan said: "No-one is trying to stop students having fun. All I am asking is that they keep the noise down late at night in residential areas." Local church flush thanks to council funding Local councillors have this week awarded Alwoodley's Methodist Church £5,500 towards the cost of some essential renovations to prevent the building being closed to the public. The money will be used to renovate the toilets, with the addition of a unisex disabled facility, in the smaller of the church's community halls. The floor will also be re-laid as the existing tiles are worn and chipped, creating a potential hazard. Councillor Peter Harrand (Conservative, Alwoodley ward) said: "Alwoodley's Methodist Church plays an important role in our community and if this work is not carried out it will mean the loss of an important facility for everyone, so I'm delighted we have been able to contribute this money." Food waste recycling scheme is praised The leader of Leeds Liberal Democrats has hailed the results of a pilot scheme to recycle food waste in Rothwell. Stewart Golton (Lib Dem, Rothwell) believes that the scheme is so successful, it should be extended to other parts of the city as soon as possible. The success of the Rothwell trial is detailed in a recent report to Leeds City Council's Environment and Neighbourhoods scrutiny board. Recycling rates in the pilot area have averaged 52.9% over the trial period. This is way above the 28% figure for the rest of the city. Complaints about the scheme were also low, with only four having been made to date. Golton said: "The food waste collection is clearly a huge success. Recycling rates in Rothwell are through the roof and the scheme is really popular with residents. "If Leeds wants to remain serious about recycling, the council should find appropriate areas to extend the scheme to as soon as possible. It's not the right answer for everywhere in Leeds but there are plenty of places like Rothwell that already achieve high recycling rates where this scheme would be a success. "With the government ramping up the cost of landfill every year for the foreseeable future, it also makes good financial sense to expand food waste collections. Some investment in the short term could deliver some real long term financial benefits for the council." Ryk Downes (Lib Dem, Otley and Yeadon) has previously called for the scheme to be introduced in Otley. He said: "I've argued in the past that food waste collections should be extended to Otley and this report only strengthens that case. "Otley's a town with lots of residents who are enthusiastic about recycling so it seems like an ideal candidate for this scheme to be extended to." Elderly treated to a day of celebration in Kippax Elderly residents across east Leeds have this week been treated to a captivating day of entertainment in celebration of the role they play in their community. Nearly 100 elderly residents gathered at the Kippax Ex-Service and Social Club yesterday in recognition of the International Day of Older Persons. As well as being served up a magnificent lunch, the elderly guests were also entertained by rounds of bingo, a raffle and a special rendition of War Time Music Hall Entertainment by the Pocket Panto company. The event, which was organised and funded by the Leeds Outer East Area Committee, was also attended by groups and organisations to provide elderly residents with essential information and advice on a range of local issues, including energy awareness and personal safety. Labour councillor James Lewis (Kippax & Methley) said: "Events like this are not only about getting people together to chat and be entertained, but are an excellent way of making sure older people are up to date on information and local services by liaising with local organisations who provide advice and support." Councillor thrilled to open new traffic lights in Pudsey A long awaited series of traffic and pedestrian signals have finally been completed on a busy junction in Pudsey to the delight of a local councillor. The work to install traffic signals and pedestrian crossings at the junction where Kent Road and Lane End meet Lowtown has been in the pipeline for nearly eight years but problems with local development funding resulted in delays to any improvements taking place. The junction has a long history of congestion problems caused by turning traffic and Labour councillor, Richard Lewis , hopes that the new facilities will finally eradicate the problems experienced in recent years. Lewis said: "It has taken a considerable amount of time, effort and much frustration to realise this project. "These new measures will hopefully improve traffic flow in the area, particularly at peak times, and bring a real decline in problems previously faced by both motorists and pedestrians. However, the junction will be monitored to ensure that the signal settings are the most productive for traffic flow. The next step towards further improving this junction will be resurfacing works which will be carried out in the next few months." The installation of signals at the junction was fully funded by Section 278 funding supplied by Bellway as a condition of building a nearby housing development. Council adopts ginnel – after 170 years A well-used ginnel in Farsley has finally come under the protection of Leeds Council after it has been used, according to some estimates, for over 170 years. The ginnel, which leads from Town Street, next to the Natwest branch, through to School Street, doesn't appear on the Council's Definitive Map Statement or List of Streets, despite its long history and heavy use. Efforts made to trace an owner of the land have been unsuccessful, so now the Council is using its powers to bring the ginnel under its care. A Public Path Creation Order will now be issued and the ginnel will officially come under the Council's oversight. Councillor Andrew Carter (Conservative, Calverley and Farsley) said: "I'm amazed that this ginnel has been, essentially, ownerless for so long, given the fact that it's used so heavily. Now we can make sure it's protected and maintained properly and it may well still be in use in another 170 years." Outdoor adventures for city youngsters Local children will soon be enjoying action packed weekends in the English countryside with the help of local councillors and Leeds students. Councillors James Monaghan , Jamie Matthews and Martin Hamilton (Lib Dem, Headingley) have donated £300 of MICE funding to the Outdoor Mix, which is a scheme run by Leeds University students. The project provides unforgettable experiences and adventures in the great outdoors. The Outdoor Mix is aimed at children between the ages of 8-12 years, who would not normally have the opportunity to get involved in breaks away. Tower-block recycling centres unveiled Residents in four inner-city tower blocks have been among the first in the city to benefit from new communal recycling centres in a council bid to meet recycling targets. 400 residents in Clyde Court, Clyde Grange, Wortley Towers and Wortley Heights in Armley are among the first in Leeds to be given the new specialised recycle bins in which plastics, paper, cardboard, cans and glass can be deposited. Labour councillor for Armley, Janet Harper, is delighted with the new facilities and hopes that the idea will catch on and rolled out to other areas in the city. Councillor Janet Harper (Armley) said: "These new recycling centres are a very welcome addition to the local area and it is fantastic accolade that Armley is leading the way on such an innovative scheme that will reduce household waste and help the environment. "The layout of certain streets and the existence of tower blocks in Armley means that not every property can have green wheelie bins. It is therefore crucial that we find inventive ways to roll out recycling services to as many households as possible. "The new communal bins cater for several household recyclable materials – more, in fact, then the standard green wheelie bins. So they will not only make life much easier for those residents who already do their best to recycle, they will also introduce recycling to a new host of residents." The new recycling bins have been provided as a result of a joint project between Leeds City Council and West North West Homes Leeds Otley's Victorian Christmas Otley is already preparing to celebrate Christmas in style this year as the popular annual Victorian fayre looks set to be bigger than ever. Councillors Colin Campbell , Ryk Downes and Graham Kirkland (Lib Dem, Otley and Yeadon), were delighted to support the event by providing £500 of MICE money for the Victorian Fayre and Christmas Markets. The Victorian Fayre and Christmas Markets will take place on Sunday the 12th of December. What do you think? Have your say in the comments section below. You can find out more information about Leeds Council and your local councillors at Openly Local . You can email issues to your local councillor via the My Society section on our homepage . Or you can report local problems through our Fix My Street section here .