About community committees
Community committees were set up in Leeds to improve the way the council works locally. They form part of our commitment to involving residents more closely, by ensuring the views and opinions of everyone in our diverse communities are heard and inform any decision making that takes place, contributing towards the Leeds Ambitions: Healthy, Growing, Thriving, Resilient and the council’s overall aim of creating safer and stronger communities.
The city’s community committees provide the infrastructure through which the council executes one of its democratic functions and community engagement ambitions. As formal council meetings held in public, they are one of the few structures through which the council has delegated its decision-making powers to the local level.
Community committees play a key role in helping to address a range of local issues by developing committee and ward level programmes of work that help to improve the places where people live. This includes work to improve the local environment or deliver activities that address specific local issues and/or create new opportunities which local people can benefit from.
Together, the committees create an invaluable city-wide network, through which communities are encouraged to engage and influence how the council and its partners deliver its business functions.
Community committees and wards
There are 8 community committees across the city of Leeds. Each committee is made up of local councillors from each of the 33 wards in the city, elected to represent their local communities at the local elections in May.
Inner East
Burmantofts and Richmond Hill; Gipton and Harehills; Killingbeck and Seacroft; Roundhay.
Inner North
Chapel Allerton; Headingley and Hyde Park; Little London and Woodhouse; Moortown.
Inner South West
Armley; Beeston and Holbeck; Hunslet and Riverside; Kirkstall.
Outer East
Crossgates and Whinmoor; Garforth and Swillington; Kippax and Methley; Temple Newsam.
Outer South
Ardsley and Robin Hood; Middleton Park; Morley North; Morley South; Rothwell.
Outer West
Bramley and Stanningley; Calverley and Farsley; Farnley and Wortley; Pudsey.
Outer North East
Adel and Wharfedale; Alwoodley; Harewood; Wetherby.
Outer North West
Guiseley and Rawdon; Horsforth; Otley and Yeadon; Weetwood.
Find out more about your local community committee
Community committees hold 4 public meetings a year, where elected members make localised decisions that affect communities, in particular around funding for projects that address priorities agreed by the committee, as documented in its forward plan.
Community committees involve local people in conversations about what happens in their neighbourhoods and are also involved in engagement activity with local communities, which consider issues that concern its residents. This local engagement may influence decisions on things such as environmental improvements, community safety, health and wellbeing, employment, as well as issues that affect young people.
Find out more about your local community committee.
Spending money locally
Community committees play an important role in understanding and addressing issues of concern to people. One of the many ways they do this is by funding projects that address local priorities.
At the start of each year, every committee is allocated a dedicated sum of money known as the wellbeing fund and youth activities fund. These budgets are awarded as grants by the committees to community projects and youth activities that meet priorities and benefit the local area.
Our community committees recognise our communities are more diverse than ever, a strength that we are proud of in Leeds. The commitment to locality-based working was demonstrated in the range of projects the committees funded, spending over £1.2 million in 2024/25, totalling 350 separate grants to local grass root organisations, voluntary groups and charities, to tackle the specific needs of our communities.
Apply for funding
There are committee small grants up to £1,000 per ward and large grants over £1,000 per ward, with 2 types of funding available:
- Wellbeing Fund for large projects supporting the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the committee area.
- Youth Activity Fund to provide activities for children and young people aged 8 to 17 years in the committee area.
Grants are available to:
- voluntary, community or faith organisations
- charities
- commercial organisations operating on a non-profit basis
- council services
To find out if you're eligible for funding, please contact our community committee support team.
How to get involved in the community committees
Attend a meeting, contact your local elected members, or take part in a discussion through our social media pages.
- Inner East community committee: Facebook
- Inner North community committee: Facebook
- Inner South West community committee: Facebook
- Outer East community committee: Facebook
- Outer South community committee: Facebook
- Outer West community committee: Facebook
- Outer North East community committee: Facebook
- Outer North West community committee: Facebook
Meetings are held at different locations across the city and generally start in the early evening and last around one hour. All meetings are open to the public and are themed around the constitutional obligations including the committees Finance Report and Forward Plan.
Meetings are published on our website and can also be found on our social media pages, along with other local information and activities.
Find out more about the community committees
Contact Carl Hinchliffe for further information: carl.hinchliffe@leeds.gov.uk
View latest copy of the community committee's annual report.
Contact the community committee support team
Phone
0113 378 5808
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
