 01924 (Wakefield nos)
01937 (Wetherby/ Boston Spa)
01943 (Guiseley/ Otley)
01977 (Pontefract nos) Leeds City Council which is based in Leeds Civic Hall in the city centre, governs the whole metropolitan district. It has 99 elected members, three for each of 33 wards; councillors are elected for a four year term, and one third are elected at local elections held in three years out of four. There were ''all out'' elections in 2004 after boundary changes, when all 99 councillors were elected. 2009 it is controlled by a coalition of Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Independent members. The Conservative and Liberal Democrat group leaders take the rôle of Leader of the Council for six months alternately. Leeds is represented by eight MPs, for the constituencies of Elmet ( Colin Burgon, Labour); Leeds Central ( Hilary Benn, Labour); Leeds East ( George Mudie, Labour); Leeds North East ( Fabian Hamilton, Labour); Leeds North West ( Greg Mulholland, Lib Dem); Leeds West ( John Battle, Labour); Morley and Rothwell ( Colin Challen, Labour); and Pudsey ( Paul Truswell, Labour). Various boundary changes will be implemented for the next General Election, when Leeds will be represented by members for seven constituencies and three-fifths of one: Elmet will be replaced by Elmet and Rothwell and Morley by Morley and Outwood (three Leeds wards and two Wakefield wards), and the boundaries of the other constituencies will be altered. Leeds is within the Yorkshire and the Humber European constituency, which is represented by two Conservative, two Labour, one Liberal Democrat and one UKIP MEPs. Lord Mayor of Leeds The Lord Mayor fulfils many ceremonial duties during the year, and chooses a ''Lord Mayor's charity'' to support. The full title of the Lord Mayor is ''The Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of the City of Leeds''. Although the Lord Mayor's remit covers the whole of the City of Leeds metropolitan district, there are also town mayors in some of the other towns in this district. A full list of Aldermen (1626-1661), Mayors (1662-1896) and Lord Mayors (from 1897) is available on the council's website. Geography Leeds is situated in the eastern foothills of the Pennines astride the River Aire whose valley, the Aire Gap, provides a road and rail corridor that facilitates communications with cities to the west of the Pennines. The highest point in the city, at 1,115 feet (340 m), is at its north western extremity on the eastern slopes of Rombalds Moor, better known as Ilkley Moor, on the boundary with the City of Bradford. The lowest points are at around 33 feet (10 m), in the east of the city: where River Wharfe crosses the boundary with North Yorkshire south of Thorp Arch Trading Estate and where the River Aire (at this point forming the City of Wakefield boundary) meets the North Yorkshire boundary near Fairburn Ings. Temperature and rainfall Location grid Areas of the city The city's current boundaries came into being on 1 April 1974, set by the Local Government Act 1972. Before this, there existed a smaller County Borough of Leeds, and parts of today's city were in various other administrative areas. The County Borough of Leeds included the former parishes of Armley, Beeston, Bramley, Chapel Allerton, Farnley, Headingley / Burley, Holbeck, Hunslet, Leeds, Osmondthorpe, Potter Newton, Seacroft, Temple Newsam (covering the areas of Austhorpe, Colton, Halton, Halton Moor and Whitkirk) and Wortley. The post-1974 Metropolitan Borough of Leeds also includes part or all of the former Municipal Boroughs of Morley and Pudsey, the Rural Districts of Tadcaster, Wetherby and Wharfedale, and the Urban Districts of Aireborough, Garforth, Horsforth, Otley and Rothwell. Demography and demonyms Entire Metropolitan Borough Urban Core The population had a 100 to 93.1 female–male ratio. Of those over 16 years old, 39.4% were single (never married) and 35.4% married for the first time. The Urban Subdivision's 188,890 households included 35.0% one-person, 27.9% married couples living together, 8.8% were co-habiting couples, and 5.7% single parents with their children. Of those aged 16–74, 32.6% had no academic qualifications, higher than average of England (28.9%). Population change Human geography Demonyms An inhabitant of Leeds is locally known as a '' Loiner'', a word of uncertain origin, possibly from ''Loidis'', an early name for the region mentioned around 700 AD by Bede. The term is rarely used or understood. The mock-classical adjectives ''Leodensian'' and ''Leodiensian'' are sometimes used by some local sports clubs, and the word Leodensian also features in the lyrics of '' I Predict a Riot'' by Kaiser Chiefs, although in that context it was referring to John Smeaton, a famous 18th century resident of the city (who resided in Austhorpe Lodge, now the site of Austhorpe Primary School) as a founder of Leeds Grammar School, as a Leeds Grammar School alumnus is called an Old Leodensian. Economy Leeds was voted 'Britain's Best City for Business' by Omis Research in 2003 but dropped to 3rd place behind Manchester and Glasgow in 2005 (''Relative under-performance over the past two years in transport improvements and cost competitiveness were the major contributing factors''). It is also regarded by some as one of the fastest growing cities in the UK and has a diverse economy with the service sector now dominating over the city's manufacturing industries. Leeds' growth has helped to change the economic geography of the United Kingdom, as Leeds is now one of the largest financial centres in England outside the capital. New tertiary industries such as retail, call centres, offices and media have contributed to a high rate of economic growth since the early 1990s. Leeds was successful in becoming the first British city to have full broadband and digital coverage during the dot-com bubble, enabling it to become one of the key hubs in the emerging new media sector. Companies such as Freeserve, Energis, Sportal, TEAMtalk, Contactmusic.com and Ananova emerged from Leeds to dominate the UK internet industry. Now, over 33% of the UK's internet traffic passes through Leeds, making it one of the most important regional internet centres in the UK. Over 124,000 people work in financial and business services in Leeds, the largest number of any UK city outside London. The strength of the economy is also indicated by the low unemployment rate. Although Leeds' economy has boomed in recent years, the prosperity has not spread to all parts of the city. Many areas south and east of central Leeds remain deprived, although are slowly starting to benefit from inward investment. Previously deprived areas have benefited from the economic growth such as Chapeltown and Kirkstall. Leeds has an extensive and diverse range of shops and department stores, and has been described by the Lonely Planet guides as the ' Knightsbridge of the North'. The diverse range of shopping facilities, from individual one-off boutiques to large department stores such as Harvey Nichols and Louis Vuitton outlets, has greatly expanded the Leeds retail base. The Victoria Quarter, several existing arcades connected together by roofing the entirety of Queen Victoria Street with stained glass, is located off Briggate, Leeds' main shopping street. Other popular shopping attractions include Leeds Kirkgate Market, Granary Wharf, Leeds Shopping Plaza, Headrow Shopping Centre, The Light, The St John's Centre, The Merrion Centre Leeds, Birstall Retail Park and the White Rose Centre. In addition, the proposed Eastgate Quarters will enlarge the shopping area significantly, and is due to be anchored by John Lewis and a second Marks and Spencer store for the city. The Trinity Quarter is a large shopping development under construction that is expected to open in 2010. It is a part redevelopment of a run-down part of the city centre, and part re-modelling of the existing Leeds Shopping Plaza. Leeds has received several accolades in the field of tourism; including being voted by '' Condé Nast Traveler'' magazine Readers' Awards as the ''UK's favourite city'' in 2004, ''Best English city to visit outside London'' in 2005, and also ''Visitor city of the year'' by ''The Good Britain Guide'' in 2005. Situated close to the UK's geographical centre, the city benefits from good transport connections with the M1 running from Leeds to London, the M62 connecting Leeds with Manchester and the seaport cities of Hull and Liverpool, and the A1(M) for linking to the north. Leeds Bradford International Airport is a rapidly growing regional UK airport, with an 87 per cent growth in terminal passenger numbers in the last five years. Over 450 weekly flights connect the city to over 70 major European business and holiday destinations. Tourism in Leeds is estimated to support over 20 full time equivalent jobs, and on average Leeds attracts around 1.5 million people annually who stay overnight, plus a further 10 million who visit on day trips. Visitors to the city bring nearly £735 million into the local economy each year. Major national and regional attractions include the Royal Armouries, Leeds Art Gallery, the Henry Moore Institute and the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Leeds is also the only city outside London to have both its own opera and ballet companies – the internationally acclaimed Opera North and Northern Ballet Theatre. In recent times Leeds has seen many new developments, with high rise schemes making a much larger mark on Leeds' skyline. Sixteen skyscrapers are currently under construction or proposed, all of them taller than West Riding House — Leeds' tallest building from 1972-2005. Bridgewater Place, known locally as 'The Dalek', recently became the tallest building in Leeds. A taller building, the 561 ft m 0 adj=on Lumiere building was planned to be finished by 2012 but building work has been put on hold as of 9 July 2008 owing to the state of the world economy. The plan for even taller 'Kissing Towers' of Criterion Place has been scrapped for similar reasons. Since postponing any further work on Lumiere, the developers have applied to Leeds City Council for the development to be revised, making it taller than the current proposals. Landmarks Lotherton Hall, with art collections and a bird garden, lies to the east of the city, Bramham Park to the north-east near Bramham, and Harewood House to the north. Kirkstall Abbey, Temple Newsam, and Lotherton Hall are owned and administered by Leeds City Council. Transport Local Bus and train travel in the Leeds area is coordinated and developed by West Yorkshire Metro, with service information provided by Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Metro. The primary method of public transport around Leeds is by bus. The main provider is First Leeds, with Arriva Yorkshire serving routes to the south of the city. The bus network is highly developed with several guided busways operating on radial routes, as well as an extensive network of bus lanes and bus priority systems. A zero-fare bus service, the FreeCityBus, connects Leeds City Bus Station, Leeds City Station, the Universities, and Leeds General Infirmary via the public transport box every 6 minutes from Monday to Saturday. All cross-city services use bus stops on and around the Public Transport Box (a box surrounding the core shopping area limited to public transport) and interchanges at Leeds City Station, Boar Lane and Infirmary Street. Leeds City Bus Station is used by many routes serving destinations outside the city and a minority of First Leeds buses. From Leeds City station at New Station Street, MetroTrains operated by Northern Rail run to many of Leeds' suburbs and onwards to all parts of Leeds City Region. The MetroTrain network has been expanding since the 1980s, although overcrowding has resulted in expansion slowing in recent years with the last station opening at Glasshoughton in 2005. All of Leeds' suburbs sit within Metrocard Zones 1 and 2. Leeds's former tram system was closed down in 1959, at around the same time that most other cities in the UK also abandoned tramways. The central tram sheds were converted into Queens Hall, a concert hall, which was later demolished in 1989. The Bramley tram sheds were demolished in 1969. Former tram buildings still exist on Abbey Road in Kirkstall, while tram poles still stand in Roundhay. The city had plans in the 1990s and 2000s for a tram network known as Supertram. However the government axed the scheme due to an unwillingness to pay for any costs over budget, and the Department for Transport's apparent preference for a bus-based rapid transport scheme rather than a tram-based scheme. A sub-surface tramway system which could double as a public air-raid shelter facility was proposed in the 1930s by Leeds City Council, with Central Government funding. date=October 2008 The plans were axed as the Second World War commenced and funds were diverted to the war effort. Leeds remains the largest city in Europe without a mass transit system. A business case for a new Leeds Trolleybus system in the region was submitted to the Department for Transport towards the end of 2007.If all goes smoothly, construction work could start on the first phase of the scheme by 2011. This system would broadly follow the route of the axed Supertram project. Recent developments to east Leeds have seen phase 7 of the M621 which involves completion of the Inner Ring Road scheme originally started in 1971, and construction of a bridge running from the A64 near South Accommodation Road, straight to the M621. This new road link will help in taking a percentage of traffic away from the city centre and roads exiting to south Leeds and the motorways. Another project which will begin construction in late 2008 is the long awaited link to (and the opening of) Junction 45 on the M1. Slip roads, markings and roundabouts were all included during the construction of the motorway, in anticipation of a possible link road, but for many years, the un-signposted slip-roads have remained blocked off. Now, a dual carriageway (the East Leeds Link Road) is being constructed from Junction 45 directly to Leeds via Cross Green and Hunslet. This is part of Leeds City Council's aim to re-develop and encourage investment into the east Leeds area, which has huge areas of unused and derelict land. Leeds City Council is supporting the '' carsharing club'' WhizzGo, a car-hire organisation which requires a £50 per annum membership fee, in a battle to reduce congestion and carbon emissions in the city centre and surroundings. The scheme offers local residents and businesses to save money by not having to own cars yet having access to a fleet of low-emission vehicles whenever they need. As a result, car club members tend to drive less and swap car journeys for walking, cycling or public transport. Over 30 cars are sited across the city and available to members for hire by the hour (approximately £6 per hour in August 2008). Access to cars is by using a smart card and PIN. National and regional Leeds City Station is one of the busiest in England outside London, with over 900 trains and 50,000 passengers passing through every day. It provides connections to London and the south, Birmingham and the Midlands, Manchester and the north west, the East Coast, Bristol and the West Country, Newcastle and Scotland as well as to local and regional destinations. The station itself has 17 platforms, making it the largest in England outside London. Leeds is the focus of the A58, A61, A62, A63, A64, A65 and A660 roads, and was promoted as ''Motorway City of the Seventies'' by Leeds City Council. Nowadays, with the M1 and M62 intersecting just to its south and the A1(M) passing just to its east, it is one of the principal hubs of the northern motorway network. Leeds Bradford International Airport is located in Yeadon, about 10 mi km to the north-west of the city, and has both charter and scheduled flights to destinations within Europe plus Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey and (for a trial run, in December 2008) to the USA. There are connections to the rest of the world via London Heathrow Airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. In 2007 Bridgepoint Capital acquired the airport from the consortium of local councils which had previously owned it, for £145.5 million. The new owners have said they are to implement a £70 million capital expenditure plan, to focus on improving passenger and retail infrastructure. They also aim to more than double passenger numbers to 7 million per annum and to add up to 20 new scheduled destinations, both by 2015. Bridgepoint Capital have released plans of their intended expansion of the airport terminal, which is estimated to cost £28 million. Leeds has connections by road, rail and coach to Hull, only an hour away, from where it is possible to travel to Rotterdam and Zeebrugge by ferry services run by P&O Ferries. Education Schools Leeds has a large number education establishments, with Education Leeds having responsibility for statutory education for young people in the city. Education Leeds, a non-profit company owned by Leeds City Council, has provided educational services in the borough since 2001. In January 2009, it was announced that of the 38 secondary schools in the borough, 8 were to have a police officer stationed there full-time, and the remaining 30 schools were to have 16 officers between them. The initiative, which allows the officers to arrest and search pupils, was prompted by over 250 offences committed in schools in the borough in 2008. Police Constable Bob Bowman of West Yorkshire Police stated that ''we don't have a particular problem in Leeds compared to other cities, but we're not resting on our laurels''. BSF, Academies, Federations, closures and mergers The city's state schools trace their history to the Elementary Education Act 1870 and the formation of the Leeds School Board in 1871. Under the Government's targets for better schools for children, many schools are being rebuilt or undergoing refurbishment. There is a partial list of state and independent schools, colleges and universities in Leeds. Primary schools have also been hit. In 2006, Headingley Primary School was closed and a religious primary school 'secularised' to take over from Headingley. OFSTED reports are available for all schools and further education colleges in Leeds. Independent sector Colleges College Merger Universities Leeds has two universities, the University of Leeds with a total of about 31,000 students, of which 21,500 are full-time or sandwich undergraduate degree students, and Leeds Metropolitan University with a total of 52,000 students of which 12,000 are full time or sandwich undergraduate degree students and 2,100 full time or sandwich HND students. Sports Leeds City AC compete in the British Athletics League and UK Women's League as well as the Northern Athletics League. Many athletic clubs serve the youth of the city and enter teams in the country's major running events. Leeds hosts many athletics events itself, most notably the Help the Aged Abbey Dash 10K, the Jane Tomlinson 10K and the Leeds Half Marathon. In 1929 the first Ryder Cup of Golf to be held on British soil was competed for at the Moortown Golf club in Leeds The ''LeedsLeedsLeeds'' Ultimate (frisbee) team competes nationally and internationally. In the period 1928 to 1939 speedway racing was staged in Leeds on a track at the greyhound stadium in Elland Road. The track entered a team in the 1931 Northern league. Other facilities include the Leeds Wall (climbing) and Yeadon Tarn sailing centre. Culture and recreation Media Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd, owned by Johnston Press plc, is based in the city, and produces a daily morning broadsheet, the '' Yorkshire Post'', and an evening paper, the '' Yorkshire Evening Post''(YEP). The (YEP), as well as other publications such as '' Leeds Express'' and the weekly freesheets of the '' Leeds Weekly News'', Wharfe Valley Times and '' Pudsey Times'' has a website which includes a series of ''community websites'' focused on specific areas of Leeds and called ''[placename] today''. The Wetherby News covers mainly areas within the City of Leeds, but also areas within Leeds itself, including Shadwell and Whinmoor. Between 1974 and 1994, 'Leeds' Other Paper' (latterly the ''Northern Star'') provided a left-wing take on news, politics and social events in the city. Based at Leeds University Union is one of the largest student newspapers in the country, the '' Leeds Student''. Leeds Metropolitan University student union has also established a free newspaper, titled '' The Met''. There is also a number of regular dedicated lifestyle magazines based in Leeds, most notably the '' The Leeds Guide'' magazine which features regular nightlife listings and pages on food & drink, shopping, fashion, property, travel, clubbing, film and rock & pop in the city. The magazine reflects the diversity of cultural life in Leeds and West Yorkshire, with areas such as art, literature, cinema, comedy, dance, classical music, opera, jazz and theatre all regularly represented. Regional television and radio stations also have bases in the city; BBC Television and ITV both have regional studios and broadcasting centres in Leeds. ITV Yorkshire, formerly Yorkshire Television, broadcasts from The Leeds Studios on Kirkstall Road, which were built in 1968 following a slum clearance, which included the demolition of St Simon's church. In March 2009 ITV announced that the main studio complex at Kirkstall Road is to be closed down. There are a number of independent film production companies, including the not-for-profit cooperative Leeds Animation Workshop, founded in 1978; community video producers Vera Media and several small commercial production companies. BBC Radio Leeds, Radio Aire, Magic 828, Galaxy Yorkshire, Real Radio and Yorkshire Radio all broadcast from the city. In the 1980s, pirate radio stations including Rapid City Radio (RCR), amongst other shorter-lived stations broadcasting a mainly reggae playlist from Chapeltown, later diversifying into hip hop and house. Later, Dream FM (Leeds) was one of the biggest pirate radio stations in the country, but folded soon after getting a licence to operate legally. Leeds also has one of the largest student radio stations in the country, serving all the students of Leeds and open to participation from all of the universities and colleges within Leeds. The station, LSRfm.com, is based in Leeds University Union, and regularly hosts outside broadcasts around the city. Many communities within Leeds now have their own local radio stations, such as East Leeds FM and Tempo FM ( Wetherby and the surrounding areas). Museums and the arts A new Leeds City Museum opened on 13 September 2008 in the building of the former Mechanics Institute, more recently used as the Civic Theatre, in Millennium Square. The previous city museum was in the Central Library building, and closed some years ago. Abbey House Museum is housed in the former gatehouse of Kirkstall Abbey, and includes walk-through Victorian streets and galleries describing the history of the abbey, childhood, and Victorian Leeds. Armley Mills Industrial Museum is housed in what was once the world's largest woollen mill, and includes industrial machinery and railway locomotives. Thwaite Mill Museum is a fully-restored water-powered mill on the river Aire to the east of the city centre. A fulling mill was built on the site in 1641, and it was extensively rebuilt in 1823–25. The Thackray Museum is a museum of the history of medicine, featuring topics such as Victorian public health, pre-anaesthesia surgery, and safety in childbirth. It is housed in a former workhouse next to St James's hospital. The Royal Armouries Museum opened in 1996 in a dramatic modern building when this part of the collection was transferred from the Tower of London. Leeds Art Gallery reopened in June 2007 after a major renovation project, and houses important collections of traditional and contemporary British art. Contemporary Art venues include Gallery 42, Leeds Met Gallery, PS:L and theartmarket. | 
@StanCollymore my first Leeds match was Leeds v Charlton in the Premiership in 2002 at Elland Road. It was a 0-0 draw.
@ashlarrrr a lad at college did say you can get away with so much more at leeds cuz theres no cameras there and not as many security, damn!
@Kirsty_Cronin @num1wally fitttt rugby players from leeds :D
Proves leeds better than ac milan
@Placetobe83 Yeah, Alkaline Trio are doing the same festival in Leeds. I am hoping loads of bands from it will tour.
