THE LEEDS BRIEF ⏰ Friday, 30 October 2026

Morning, Leeds! 💧 The big one: Yorkshire Water has been handed the lowest possible environmental rating after its pollution incidents jumped by more than 70%, and it missed deadlines on six legally required schemes in west Leeds. Also today: a waste site fire in Yeadon, a Christmas lights row in Wetherby, and someone (or something) leaving bear prints in Roundhay Park.

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💧 Yorkshire Water gets the lowest environmental rating

The Environment Agency has downgraded Yorkshire Water from two stars out of four to one, so it's now officially a "poor performing company" for its impact on the environment. The regulator's annual assessment found the firm, which serves 2.4 million homes across the region, was responsible for 260 pollution incidents in 2025, up from 151 the year before: a rise of more than 70% and the highest total since 2011. Closer to home, the YEP reports figures claiming just under 188,000 hours of pollution into Leeds' rivers since the start of this year, and the company failed to finish six legally required environmental schemes in west Leeds on time. Stephanie Pullan, Yorkshire Water's director of asset management, said: "Our pollution performance isn't where it needs to be." The company says it's spending £8.3bn between 2025 and 2030, including £1.5bn to cut storm overflow discharges, and that 300 schemes have been delivered since April 2025. Asked whether customers or shareholders were paying the bigger share, she said: "That would be our customers." That lands after average bills rose by about 30% in April 2025 and a further 5.6% this April.
👉 Read more: BBC News · YEP

📰 NEWS

🔥 Waste site fire shuts Yeadon tip

Fire crews from across the region were called to a fire at the SBT waste transfer station on Milners Road in Yeadon at about 8.30am yesterday (Thursday 29 October). People nearby were told to keep windows and doors closed, and the Yeadon household waste recycling centre further along the road had to shut because the road was closed while firefighters used water supplies nearby. Later in the day the fire service said it was scaling back to two engines. It's not yet clear how the fire started. If you're planning a tip run this weekend, check it's open before you load the car.
👉 Read more: BBC News · YEP · Leeds Live

🚨 Woman dies after being hit by car in police chase

A 36-year-old woman has died after being hit by a car on Beckett Street, near St James's Hospital, yesterday morning. West Yorkshire Police said a black Vauxhall Corsa failed to stop for officers on Harehills Road at 9.50am, a pursuit was authorised, and two minutes later the car hit the woman and didn't stop. The Corsa was later found abandoned on Nippet Lane and at least two people left it; police are trying to trace them. The Homicide and Major Enquiry Team is investigating and wants to hear from witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage, and the force has made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
👉 Read more: BBC News · YEP

🎄 Wetherby's Christmas lights row sorted (for a price)

Wetherby's volunteer Christmas lights team, who've been decorating the town for more than 60 years, say they were stopped from putting up 11 lamp post decorations themselves and quoted "£400+" each by Leeds City Council's lights team to do it. The group called it "rip off tactics". The council says the extra support is needed to meet strict safety rules for lights on lampposts, as with all community displays. After talks, Wetherby Town Council has agreed to pay for the installation this year, so the decorations are going up after all.
👉 Read the full story at Leeds Live

📶 5G masts planned on top of the Leeds Marriott

EE has applied to Leeds City Council to replace the existing phone equipment on the roof of the Marriott Hotel on Trevelyan Square, off Boar Lane, with two five-metre "alpha flagpole antennas" for 5G. It needs listed building consent too, as the site sits among Grade II and Grade II*-listed buildings in the City Centre Conservation Area. EE says the upgrade will mean faster downloads and better signal in the area. Comments are open until 12 November.
👉 Read the full story at the YEP

🚉 Station plans: the verdict

A day on from the £200m Leeds station announcement, Network Rail has added more detail, including a fifth entrance on Neville Street, a first-class lounge and moving the ticket barriers to avoid bottlenecks. Northern, the RMT and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership all welcomed it. Loiners asked by the YEP were less sure: one Morley commuter called it "just another vanity project", while others asked why the current works have taken so long.
👉 Read more: YEP: reaction · YEP: your verdict

🏙️ AROUND THE CITY

🐶 Tarot readings for dogs, for a good cause

Leeds tarot reader Danielle Hardgrave does readings for people and their dogs, with all the money going to Good Life Dog Rescue, where she adopted her dog Stevie. The dog readings, she says, are less about inner anxieties and more about "love, biscuits and chicken, in Stevie's case". The dogs usually pick their own cards.
👉 Read the full story at the YEP

🎧 MiNT Festival names its first 2027 acts

MiNT Festival returns to Newsam Green Farm on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 May 2027, with three stages (The Bunker, The Orchard and The Barn). The first names include Enzo Siragusa, MJ Cole, Luke Dean, Burnski and Sidney Charles.
👉 Read the full story at Leeds Live

✨ Light Night wraps up

Light Night Leeds finished last night after two evenings, the first time it's been held in half term. This year's theme was "A City Speaks…", part of Leeds 400, with projections on the Civic Hall and The Queens Hotel, a storybook piece on Briggate and a giant mirrorball silent disco in Centenary Square.
👉 Read the full story at Leeds City Council

🚦 GETTING ABOUT

🎖️ Free First Bus travel for veterans at Remembrance

Veterans, serving members of the Armed Forces and cadets can travel free on First Bus in Leeds on Remembrance Sunday (8 November) and Armistice Day (Wednesday 11 November). Just show the driver your Armed Forces ID, or wear your medals or uniform. Where it's safe, drivers will pull over at 11am on both days for the two-minute silence.
👉 Read the full story at the YEP

⚽ SPORT

Elvedi back for Bournemouth, Stach a doubt

Daniel Farke says Nico Elvedi has recovered from the illness that kept him out at Sunderland and is available for tomorrow's trip to Bournemouth (Saturday 31 October, 3pm). Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor had a normal training week, and Joe Rodon is back in part of team training but the game comes too soon for him. Anton Stach is still struggling with his foot: "That is a bit of a question mark," said Farke.
👉 Read more: YEP · Leeds United fixtures

England's World Cup morning

England Women kicked off against Samoa in Wollongong at 6.45am needing a win to reach the semi-finals. Then England's men face Papua New Guinea at 9.05am: they need a points difference swing of 68 on Samoa, and for Samoa to lose to Tonga on Sunday. Coach Brian McDermott has urged his players not to panic.
👉 Read more: BBC Sport: England men · BBC Sport: England Women

🎭 CULTURE

🦇 Friday night gigs

At the Brudenell tonight, VAINGLORIOUS II brings The Vaynes, Rose Of Avalanche, The Glorious Ones and Billy Masters (£15, with £1 of each ticket going to Macmillan). Elsewhere, Adult DVD play Project House (£17), Asher White is at Hyde Park Book Club (£15) and The Klittens are at Wharf Chambers (£12). Doors 7pm or 7.30pm. Looking further ahead, Yard Act's Friday 6 November O2 Academy show is sold out, but Saturday 7 November was still on sale (£28).
👉 More at Brudenell Social Club

📅 THIS WEEK IN LEEDS

🏉 Today, 9.05am: England v Papua New Guinea, Rugby League World Cup.
🦇 Tonight: VAINGLORIOUS II at the Brudenell, with £1 of each ticket going to Macmillan.
🎃 Saturday 31 October: Halloween.
⚽ Saturday 31 October, 3pm: Bournemouth v Leeds United.
🎖️ Sunday 8 November: Remembrance Sunday, with free First Bus travel for veterans.
📶 Thursday 12 November: last day to comment on EE's Marriott 5G plans.
Sources: BBC Sport · Brudenell Social Club · Leeds United · YEP

🐻 AND FINALLY...

Walkers in Roundhay Park got a surprise this week when a trail of large "bear" paw prints, bigger than a human hand and each with five toes, appeared overnight along a woodland path near the Morrisons. They've clearly been placed there on purpose, and nobody yet knows who by. Leeds Live reassures us it "remains unlikely they were caused by a real bear". Just in time for Halloween, eh?
👉 Read the full story at Leeds Live

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