Leeds Sets Out Vision To Be Best In World

LEEDS has set out a plan to make it the best city in the UK.

The city’s partnership organisation, the Leeds Initiative, is launching a new long-term plan, 'Vision for Leeds 2011 to 2030', detailing how the city can achieve what is a very ambitious aim.

“We are setting ourselves a massive challenge – to be the best city in the country - not the richest or the biggest, but the best for all who live and work in Leeds."

The long-term plan for the future development of the city has been put together after consultation with local residents, school children, third sector organisations and businesses across the city.

The overall aim is to 'improve life for the people of Leeds and make the city a better place.' At the same time, a short-term city priority plan sets out what Leeds must achieve over the next four years to be on target to achieve those ambitious long-term aims.

A series of community events across the city this week will focus on the five themes of the vision, which are:

• Best city for children at Holy Rosary and St. Anne’s Catholic Primary School
• Best city to live at Revive Leeds, East Leeds Recycling Centre
• Best city for communities at Hamara Healthy Living Centre
• Best city for health and wellbeing at Armley Helping Hands
• Best city for business at the Leeds Chamber of Commerce’s annual lunch.

Councillor Keith Wakefield, leader of Leeds City Council,  said:“This Vision is ambitious – but it needs to be. We have some big challenges ahead of us. With population growth, cuts in public spending and the effects of climate change all to plan for, we need have concrete plans in place.

“We will play our part by helping Leeds to become the best council in the country, but we cannot achieve this vision alone. We want to see all people, businesses and organisations get behind this collective effort.”

Despite becoming wealthier as a city over the last 20 years, Leeds still has many deprived areas.

Following the public consultation the top priorities to emerge were:

• good quality, reliable public transport;

• a cleaner, greener city;

• new job opportunities;

• a sense of community spirit;

• good community relations;

• safety

• culture and entertainment.

“We are setting ourselves a massive challenge – to be the best city in the country - not the richest or the biggest, but the best for all who live and work in Leeds - our children, our communities and our businesses. A place where everyone can enjoy a good quality of life,” added Tom Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council.

“Leeds is a city of many proud and distinctive communities, towns and villages, and this community spirit came out very vividly from the consultation.

“But, we cannot become the ‘best city’ without the support of the people who live and work here. Recognising the importance of individual communities in helping us achieve our ambition, we decided not to have one big corporate launch but have smaller, community-based events alongside the people who will actually help us make it a reality.”