Leeds Council Plan 2026 to 2030

• Foreword
• Introduction
• What difference this plan will make
• Reset and reshape
• Delivering the Leeds ambitions
  • Healthy
  • Growing
  • Thriving
  • Resilient
• Embedding our plan

Foreword

We are proud to introduce our new Council Plan. It is our blueprint for the next three years as we head towards 2030, setting out how we will deliver for the people of Leeds, strengthen the way we work, and ensure the council is truly sustainable for the long-term.

Thanks to a consistently ambitious economic plan shared with many partners and in support of businesses around the city, Leeds is a growing and productive city with huge potential for acceleration over the next decade. However, we know that this growth does not yet truly include our whole city, which is why we have worked with a huge range of concerned organisations to create the Leeds Ambitions, to tackle the poverty and inequality that we still see today.

As a city and a council, we have been through a lot over the last decade, and we are proud of the way Leeds City Council has supported our residents and the city as a whole to grow and thrive. The next financial year will be another where we will need to make significant savings to balance the books, at a time when the complexity and volume of demand for our services is increasing in many areas.

To escape this cycle of increasing year-on-year savings and pressures and reach our full potential as an organisation, we need to use our new three-year settlement from the government to secure our long-term financial sustainability as a council and increase the impact we are making for Leeds alongside our partners.

This plan sets out how we will do just that, through a renewed focus on four key change programmes: revenue growth, prevention, locality working, and all underpinned by organisational effectiveness. We must also be clear: delivering this plan means that by the end of the three-year period the council will be smaller, more agile, more digitally enabled and more tightly focused on achieving outcomes for our residents.

Our values and listening to our residents will remain at the heart of everything we do, guiding how we respond to the challenge and change ahead. Built on that value-based foundation this plan is both a commitment and a blueprint, recognising the scale of the task we face and setting out our collective determination to evolve and reform in response. At the same time it is a statement of confidence, recognising the council has a long track record of delivering outstanding public services and leading in a city that continues to grow in reputation and presence on the national and international stage.

Through the Council Plan we will take on the big challenges and opportunities of the coming years, but at the heart of that remains a core focus on delivering the high-quality public services that residents value most. We’re already making good progress, with high quality parks across Leeds including the seven given a Green Flag Award in 2025, we’re one of only 13 councils with a top rating from the Department for Transport for road maintenance, and we’ve expanded what people can recycle in their green bins helping us reduce the amount of household waste sent to landfill from 25% to 0.2% but we know there is more to do. The plan sets a clear course for improvement, partnership, and financial sustainability, ensuring Leeds City Council remains a trusted leader of place and a champion for everyone who calls this city home.

Cllr James Lewis
Leader of Leeds City Council
Ed Whiting
Chief Executive

Introduction

The Leeds City Council Plan 2026 to 2030 sets out how the council will focus its efforts over the next three years and beyond to deliver for the people of Leeds. It sets out where we will prioritise our attention and resources to strengthen our financial sustainability for the long-term, improve how we operate, and make our full contribution to the Leeds Ambitions for Leeds to be a healthy, growing, thriving, and resilient city.

The Plan is being launched at a time of significant challenge and opportunity for local government. Like councils across the country, Leeds faces significant financial pressures and increasing demand for services. At the same time, the city continues to demonstrate extraordinary resilience and partnership with communities, public services, and businesses working together as part of Team Leeds to deliver for local people and communities.

This plan builds on that strength. At its heart is a clear and purposeful framework that connects the council’s financial sustainability with the city’s outcome priorities. Together, these provide the future focus and direction for how we work, deliver, and lead.

• Achieving financial sustainability securing our future by ensuring the council is efficient, resilient, and able to provide high-quality services within its means.
• Delivering the Leeds Ambitions taking focused action to make Leeds a healthy, growing, thriving and resilient city. This includes working across services and with partners to tackle poverty and inequality.

To achieve these goals, the plan describes how over the next three years we will reset and reshape the way the council operates so we are better equipped to work in a more integrated and efficient way, bringing colleagues together to focus more tightly on outcomes while staying closely connected to our partners and communities.

While this plan highlights the areas of greatest strategic change for the period ahead, it sits alongside the wide range of vital day to day services that make a real and lasting contribution to life in Leeds from caring for vulnerable children and adults, to maintaining clean and welcoming public spaces, collecting waste, maintaining roads, meeting the housing needs of all our residents and communities, and promoting cultural and economic life in the city. These services remain at the heart of what the council does, and the foundations on which future improvement depends.

The Council Plan 2026 to 2030 therefore focuses on doing a targeted set of things exceptionally well, while ensuring our core services remain strong and sustainable. It will be underpinned by detailed enabling strategies including the Medium Term Financial Strategy, People and Culture Strategy, and Digital Strategy alongside robust service and programme delivery plans, and a robust framework to measure progress, impact and individual performance.

This plan represents the next stage in Leeds City Council’s journey: to be a financially secure, effective, and trusted organisation, delivering high-quality services every day while shaping a fairer, greener, and stronger future for the city.

What difference will this plan make

The Council Plan gives us a fresh focus on the things that will make the biggest difference to residents in Leeds and to the future of the city overall. We have listened to what people have told us residents, staff and partners, and delivering on the commitments we make here will realise the positive difference people want to see from us.

If we are successful in achieving what we set out, then in three years’ time we will be:

• making it easier to deal with the council with more services accessed through Community Hubs and joined-up online accounts, so people don’t have to chase or repeat themselves
• stepping in earlier to stop problems growing with more early help for people and families, housing support to prevent homelessness, and action being taken before people reach a crisis point
• working more locally with others at a neighbourhood level focused on local needs and priorities alongside the NHS, voluntary sector and other partners, with refreshed community committees supporting engagement and decision making
• clearer about priorities and how we work with staff and partners knowing what the council is focusing on, why, and who is responsible, with simpler ways of working and consistent management practices
• growing the economy with a focus on continuing to build more social and affordable homes, supporting business growth and attracting investment and good jobs into the city, with knock-on benefits for the council’s own financial sustainability

About Leeds and Leeds City Council

Leeds is the engine of West Yorkshire’s dynamic economy and one of the UK’s fastest-growing regional capitals. Our city is home to around 812,000 people (ONS 2023), with the population having grown by 8.1% since 2011, and serves as the core of a city-region of 2.3 million. Leeds has a diverse and resilient £36 billion economy which is growing faster than the UK and forecasted to continue to outperform the UK for the rest of the decade.

The Leeds Economic Vision sets out ambitious plans to grow the economy by £20 billion over the next 10 years, with the potential for this to generate 100,000 new jobs. This is an unprecedented investment in the city which will transform the economy, delivering new homes, offices, transport infrastructure and public spaces. Major sectors including Finance and Professional Services; Health; and Digital and Tech are highlighted as significant drivers of growth. Projects bringing this vision to reality include continuing to strengthen the Northern Square Mile as a financial hub of national significance; the Innovation Arc as a hub for knowledge-driven economic development; and the regeneration of the city centre edge, including the South Bank transformation being accelerated as one of the UK Government’s potential new towns where delivery can happen at pace, building on investments in unique cultural anchors a major conferencing extension to the Royal Armouries Museum and a new home for the British Library North. All of this along a spine of new investment in Mass Transit embedded into the new Weaver Transport Network for the region.

The city’s economic story has been one of resilience and progress notably from the 1990s, transforming from a post-industrial city to one of the UK’s most dynamic and diversified urban economies driven by professional and financial services, digital and data-driven technology, health innovation and creative industries. Our six world class universities, teaching hospitals, and thriving further education sector reinforce our role as a centre of research and enterprise.

Yet the opportunities we enjoy do not eliminate the challenges before us. Like the rest of the UK, demographic and socio-economic changes, including an ageing population and a rise in key areas of health-related demand, bring urgency to pressures on infrastructure, housing, transport and public services. While Leeds delivers well against many national benchmarks, variation across neighbourhoods remains. Life expectancy can vary by more than 10 years between communities; gaps in educational attainment, health inequalities and housing affordability continue to impact residents; and our ambition to be the UK’s first net zero and nature positive city requires collective action across every part of Leeds and beyond.

The complexity of this landscape is often what shapes and defines the nature of our work as the council. A sustainable future relies on navigating a path to grasp and maximise the potential of the city and the council’s place within it, while responding boldly to the demand and complexity of need across the communities we serve.

More detail about Leeds, our communities and the state of the city can be found in the most recent Leeds Joint Strategic Assessment 2024.

Our Ambitions for the city and the council

The council plays two important roles in Leeds. We are responsible for delivering high quality public services through running an effective and efficient public sector organisation. We also have a unique democratic mandate from the public in leading the vision for the future of Leeds overall and bringing all city stakeholders with us.

To succeed we need to do both of these things. This plan sets out how we will prioritise areas for action to do this all aligned to our strategic goals, as set out below.

Reset and reshape

Leeds City Council is entering a period that will define our ability to remain a sustainable, high-performing organisation in the years ahead. The scale of the challenge is significant, and the environment we operate within has shifted fundamentally due to issues out of our control, including macro economic factors, sustained austerity and the public health challenges affecting many parts of the UK and which were often exacerbated by the Covid pandemic as described in recent Director of Public Health annual reports on children’s mental health, ageing well and heat in the city. To respond, we must act with clarity of purpose, boldness of ambition, persistence for the long-term and care for each other.

The need to reset and reshape is driven by powerful forces across the local government landscape and within the city. These pressures are converging and accelerating, changing what is required of the council.

Rising demand and complexity across statutory services

Post-Covid demand has increased sharply, particularly in children's and adults' social care, alongside a rise in the complexity of need. National policy reforms in social care, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), housing and planning require significant capacity at a time when budgets and staffing are already stretched. Similar to those facing the NHS, these pressures are structural, not temporary, and require new models of delivery.

A dramatically more challenging national environment

Local government nationally is under severe pressure. The rise in Section 114 notices, growing requests for Exceptional Financial Support, and the impact of historic equal pay claims demonstrate the fragility of the local government system and the risks of inaction. At the same time, wider economic conditions - including sustained levels of high inflation which is down from its 2023 peak but still above the Bank of England’s target - continue to push up costs, creating sustained financial pressure across core services.

An organisation designed for a different era

Our strong, service-led model with federated departments and distributed support functions has enabled innovation, flexibility and excellence in delivery. We should be proud of what we have achieved for our city over the last decade and the way we have evolved to support more integrated ways of working as evidence, for example, in the most recent Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI) outcome. But in today's environment we sometimes find it hard to deeply embed cross-cutting strategic priorities, drive consistency in management practice, and respond with the collective grip required to manage overwhelming demand pressures. We now need a more coherent corporate centre, clearer accountability, and to use our experience to design the service models of the future.

A step change in technology and workforce expectations

The emergence of transformative digital tools and Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a major opportunity to unlock productivity, automate routine tasks, and redesign services around residents. As our customer strategy has already identified, realising this requires new skills, redesigned processes and a workforce supported to embrace this change. This is as much a cultural shift as it is a technological one.

A highly challenging medium term financial strategy

The council faces a significant and multi-year financial gap. Traditional incremental savings have largely been exhausted. Delivering a sustainable future now requires us to seize the benefits of a multi-year local government settlement to introduce new service models based on integration and potentially more structural reform, stronger performance and productivity, and a more strategic use of our people, assets and resources.

Together, these factors create a clear and compelling case for a big and positive change for us as a council.

To continue delivering for our residents we must rapidly evolve: becoming more agile, more integrated, more digitally enabled and more financially resilient. This is our programme for doing this in a planned and purposeful way.

Resetting and reshaping what we do is not simply about responding to challenge. It is about securing our long-term sustainability and remaining in control of our own destiny, building on our successes, and ensuring the council is equipped to keep delivering excellent services for the people of Leeds for many years to come. As we go forward continuing to listen to our residents and respond to what they are telling us will help us stay on the right track.

What this means

To ‘reset’ the organisation, over the coming months, starting in early 2026, we will work as a whole organisation to look at what we are doing and how we are working, identifying the specific areas where we can strengthen our structure, culture and ways of working to better meet the long term challenges and opportunities ahead of us.

For example, in spring 2026 we will refresh our organisational values so that they remain right and relevant to what we need from each other; learning from our last staff survey we will work to strengthen the career development framework so that everyone has the skills, tools and opportunities to grow and develop in their career. Over the course of 2026 we will develop and rollout a consistent approach to service planning, so we prioritise well and ensure we are clear about the standards of service residents should expect to receive. We will look together at how new tools like dynamics, supported by the right processes and culture, can better help empower staff working at the frontline, who will often know best how to meet our residents’ needs. And we will look at how we can continue to embed an excellent and responsive service for our residents with clarity, timeliness and courtesy including through implementation of our new customer strategy and customer transformation programme. We will also ensure we are set up in the right way to achieve the ambitious goals of our new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy so that everyone working for Leeds City Council can thrive in their work, and that we increase consistency of management practice across the organisation.

‘Reshaping’ is about looking at the models and structures that we use to deliver our services, ensuring we are the right size and shape as an organisation to best meet our residents’ needs with the resources we have. This will mean more working across our directorates, creating simpler and flatter structures, bringing teams and services together in a flexible way, as we do in some areas already.

There will be a focus particularly around prevention and reducing future demand safely and sustainably in services such as housing, public health, adult social care and children’s services, including through more integrated locality-level approaches. We will strengthen collaboration with our partners from the National Health Service (NHS) to the third sector, West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) to the private sector where shared priorities enable better outcomes and inclusive economic growth. The Leeds Ambitions will be a crucial tool to really push this forward. In doing this we will embrace innovation, digital tools, and the opportunities presented by AI to increase our productivity and get even better results for our residents.

Together, reset and reshape will change how we work in a profound and long-lasting way, helping us to meet the financial challenge while continuing to serve our communities with fairness, compassion, and ambition. This is about renewing ourselves for the long term, not just responding to an immediate financial challenge, so that we lay the foundations for a resilient, modern council ready to meet the needs of Leeds now and in the future.

How we will do this

Over the last year, we agreed four clear areas of focus that will together reset and reshape Leeds City Council. These areas currently being shaped into clear strategic programmes, with identifiable programmes and projects within them to deliver change and savings. The areas we are focusing on are:

Organisational effectiveness

Organisational Effectiveness is about strengthening our foundations so we can deliver excellent services every day while changing how we work for the future. We will plan and evolve our services to respond to the challenges and opportunities the council faces, being clear about what residents can expect and ensuring we meet those standards. Through the areas of focus listed below, we will promote a culture of innovation and collaboration, supporting our people with the right training, learning and development opportunities, so that they in turn can support the organisation’s journey.

Areas of focus include:

• ensuring we behave as a listening council and embed a customer-first leadership and culture equipping staff with the skills, tools, and authority to deliver excellent service whilst fostering a culture of continuous improvement and empowerment
• introducing a consistent approach to service planning to strengthen the alignment between management actions and service outcomes, building on the priorities in this Council Plan. This should create a golden thread from strategic council priorities through to individual appraisals and support an improved approach to prioritisation and performance management
• achieving our bold vision to make it easy for all customers to interact with the council by delivering an excellent customer experience through customer-centric services, consistent access and supporting the needs of our diverse communities. Using digital and data we will enable end to end digital resolution and build a single customer record to deliver better services in the future
• establishing standard spans and layers at management grades, based on our organisational design principles, to support consistent management practice, performance appraisal and high quality communication with colleagues
• consolidate enabling functions (transformation, communications and marketing, policy and partnerships, data, performance, workforce development) currently distributed across the organisation under a single professional lead, supporting better collaboration and connection to serve the whole council more effectively
• explore opportunities to further integrate support services in a way which values and promotes professional leadership, while more easily bringing multi-disciplinary teams together around key challenges and reducing the impact of casework on managers where there is high volume or complexity
• review and refresh the council values and behaviours so they support colleagues to work in ways which embrace the direction of travel set out in this plan and the Leeds Ambitions
• refresh the Be Your Best management programme focusing on improving performance, contract management and other priorities to improve productivity
• support staff to succeed at work by enhancing our approach to performance management, improving the consistency of management, offering more regular check-ins, reviewing hybrid working principles and designing a system which recognises achievement. Our approach to performance should value high achievement and support those doing a good job to progress, as well as be geared towards addressing areas of poor performance where they exist
• introduce a council-wide programme to reduce the average number of sick days per member of staff (by at least three days) to enable a reduction in the use of agency and overtime
• grow and accelerate our approach to adoption and application of digital tools including AI, supporting staff to realise the benefits within their role while identifying a small number of potential high-impact areas for implementation in core team processes to unlock productivity benefits

Revenue growth

Increase income to help sustain essential services, by maximising our current income streams and by taking forward emerging proposals such as new local tools and where commercially viable to trade our services all without materially increasing the cost of living for Leeds residents.

Areas of focus include:

• broadening our long-term revenue base through building new homes and supporting business growth in Leeds, creating new sources of council Tax and Business Rates in support of the Leeds Economic Vision Subject to forthcoming legislation to establish the Leeds City Fund, this could establish a 100% business rate retention scheme within the South Bank area of the city, to provide a strong source of income for local investment supporting regeneration, economic development and business growth and ultimately business rate growth in the city
• increasing income by taking a robust but fair and compassionate approach to the collection of council tax and other fees and charges, supporting people who struggle to pay but ensuring those who should and can pay their fair share do so for the benefit of all residents in Leeds. Wherever possible fees and charges for council services should fully cover the cost of delivering the service
• seeking ways to make the most of our vibrant city by developing new income streams to attract funding and investment into the city. Using tools like the Tourism Tax and the emerging City Fund to sustain the vibrancy of the city and provide strong businesses and visitors spend. We will continue to harness productive commercial partnerships to promote the investment in Leeds, including being a proud international host city for major events, deepening our relationship with other global cities
• maximising the use of council buildings, spaces and other assets which could increase utilisation and have the potential to earn additional income, by working with partners

Prevention

Reducing future demand by focusing on early help and integrated interventions across our services. The aim of this programme is to enhance and embed a proactive approach to demand management within its broader approach to prevention to improve outcomes for the residents of Leeds and help ease cost pressures, unlocking system wide value through an integrated, whole family and whole life course programme. Our focus will be on three priority service areas where we see significant increasing demand adult social care, children’s social care, and social housing through the lens of common drivers of demand in these areas. We are aiming to improve outcomes for residents and achieve savings by integrating services to work better together using a whole system approach and harnessing the capability of Public Health as a key enabler of improved outcomes for people and communities.

Areas of focus include:

• supporting children and families through proactive preventative approaches to help reduce demand for council services delivered by promoting our highly effective early help front door offer and evolving the service available in our community based Family Hubs
• focusing efforts on supporting families with children on the edge of care to reduce the likelihood of escalation, and when children and young people are already in the care of the council enhancing the support we provide to seek to return children to the care of their family safely
• building on the council’s strong record in preventing homelessness to accelerate the way we can support people into safe, sustainable housing and provide more cost effective temporary accommodation solutions
• continuing to address core drivers of demand in our Adults and Health services, building on the success of the HomeFirst joint programme with NHS partners

Locality working

Through Locality Working, the council, Elected Members and partners can create the conditions for every neighbourhood to thrive not through actions done to communities, but through partnerships built with them. We have a proud track record of Locality Working in Leeds, with strong foundations supporting our long-standing commitment to tackle poverty and inequality and improve quality of life for everyone in Leeds. Our neighbourhood improvement model, supported by our work with community leaders and the third sector, has clearly demonstrated the strength of cross-sector collaboration, built on the principles of restorative practice, Asset Based Community Development and a Team Leeds ethos. We will now build on that with an even greater focus on early support and improved coordination around residents’ and local community needs. We will need to work even more closely with our Elected Members and local communities, as well as with our partner organisations, to come up with truly shared priorities that enable neighbourhoods to thrive.

Areas of focus include:

• designing leaner, more integrated locality delivery models around Community Committees, Priority Wards and Neighbourhoods and Local Care Partnerships so universal and targeted services wrap around people and place, tackling poverty and inequality closer to where people live, work and play
• continuing to reduce the overall number of council buildings in line with the principles of the Locality Estates Review, creating fit-for-purpose multi-service buildings and service offerings and community responsibility where appropriate (for example Community Asset Transfers), so that we deliver savings while protecting and enhancing local social infrastructure
• shifting power to communities by implementing the Community Committee Review, developing a Community Power Delivery Plan and enabling a cultural shift where even more local people become leaders in their own communities, strengthening relationships with the council, partners, Leeds Community Anchors and the wider voluntary, community and faith sector. This will help to ensure initiatives like Pride in Place will make the biggest possible long term difference in those neighbourhoods receiving funding
• effectively connecting the range of reform and renewal activity happening at neighbourhood level, including through the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP), to achieve maximum benefit over the coming years
• embedding a ‘Test, Learn, Grow’ approach and making better use of neighbourhood data to target resources where they have greatest impact, delivering more evidence-based prevention and scaling-up what works
• taking a joined-up approach to investment in neighbourhoods by aligning place-based funding streams to maximise the Leeds Pound in every neighbourhood, leveraging consolidated pots to attract external funding, offset core spend and sustain delivery

How we will know we have succeeded

Resetting and reshaping will be a continuous journey we will strive to adapt to changing demands on our services and resources against the backdrop of national legislative and policy changes for local government and the wider public sector. This means consistently holding a mirror up to ourselves to ensure we remain aligned with our purpose, responsive to feedback and committed to delivering value in everything we do.

It is essential to track progress and ensure delivery aligns with our original objectives. We will do this by having clear delivery and implementation plans in place for each programme of work that are resourced, clear about what they are intending to achieve, and able to be monitored and tracked effectively, whilst ensuring that they avoid duplication with other projects. This detail, including the performance indicators and metrics being used to track progress and impact, will come as the programmes are further developed. The four programmes will be closely monitored and overseen by a new Council Plan Strategic Delivery Board chaired by the Chief Executive to ensure they remain on track.

• Individual projects in each of these programmes are delivered to agreed time and quality standards, set out at the start of each programme.
• Our budget gap for the following financial year comes down from the approx. £100m it has been estimated at the time of the refreshed MTFS over each of the last two years, and in time to a level that can be managed through efficiencies rather than major savings programmes or service reductions.
• Our financial resilience improves, such that we can end the recruitment and central spending controls and move to a model of greater delegation of accountability around the organisation.
• We make measurable progress on priority areas from the 2025 staff survey, and improved scores for ‘organisational health’ (for example wellbeing, feedback on management and culture) in staff surveys.
• Evidence of stronger collaboration with partners in our localities and the increased influence of Community Committees and locality-based decision making.
• Measurable reductions in health, education and socioeconomic inequalities in our city.

Delivering the Leeds Ambitions

What we will do

Resetting and reshaping what we do is about equipping the council to deliver the best possible outcomes for residents now and in the future. As we do this, the Leeds Ambitions set out the long-term differences we want to make in tackling poverty and inequality and in responding to the challenges and opportunities that will shape Leeds future.

The Ambitions for Leeds to be a healthy, growing, thriving and resilient city reflecting what residents, communities and partners have told us they want for the future of Leeds. They describe the outcomes the whole city is working towards and provide a shared blueprint for collective action across Team Leeds.

Our day to day contribution

The council already contributes to all four Ambitions every day through the delivery of a wide range of the services we deliver. These services create the conditions for people and communities to be healthy, support inclusive growth, strengthen neighbourhoods and build long term resilience.

This includes services that promote health, wellbeing and prevention such as public health, early help, social care, leisure, parks and green spaces alongside those that keep neighbourhoods safe, clean and connected including environmental services, waste, highways and transport, regulatory and community safety functions.

Education, skills, housing, planning, cultural, digital and neighbourhood-based services also play a critical role in enabling opportunity, reducing inequalities and helping communities to thrive.

Together, these day to day services form the foundation of the council’s contribution to the Leeds Ambitions. Their full role will be planned, delivered and monitored through service plans and performance arrangements aligned to this Council Plan.

The priorities set out in the Healthy, Growing, Thriving and Resilient sections that follow represent the kind of things the council will focus on, rather than an exhaustive list. They have been identified because they are mission critical to delivering the Leeds Ambitions, closely aligned to the council’s Reset and Reshape programmes, deliverable within available resources, and areas where progress can be monitored closely.

As the Reset and Reshape programmes develop, they may incorporate aspects of the Leeds Ambitions that are most critical to achieving sustainable change. These priorities will also feed into the convenor-led Ambition plans as they are developed.

Each of the four sections that follow Healthy, Growing, Thriving and Resilient focuses on targeted, priority action and sets out:

• the city’s ambition and goals
• how the council will contribute
• the priority areas of work we will take forward
• the key milestones and deliverables we are aiming to achieve

Accountability and reporting

The council will be clear about what it has committed to deliver and will report regularly on progress against these priority actions, milestones and outcomes. This will ensure transparency, focus and accountability, while allowing the council and its partners to adapt and respond as the city wide ambition plans evolve.

Healthy

What we will do

Improve early health and development through integrated family support and early help, ensuring every child has the best start in life

We will work to strengthen collaboration across our services, alongside health, education, and community partners, so we can identify needs early and provide integrated assistance that builds strong foundations for lifelong wellbeing. Our focus on prevention and partnership is central to reducing inequalities and giving every child in Leeds the opportunity to flourish.

We will:

• implement the recommendations of the 2025 Children's Centre review, restructuring the service by spring 2026
• implement the Best Start and Beyond (0-5 yrs) plan, with the ambition to deliver a 3% improvement per year and a cumulative 9% improvement to the ‘Good Level of Development’ measure of children at age 5, over the next three years
• review and recommission the Healthy Child Programme, including the 0-19 Public Health integrated nursing service for April 2027 to deliver a public health-based service from pregnancy up to 19 years and help improve health outcomes for all children and young people
• use our integrated Family Hub and Community Hub settings to drive a more preventative approach at a neighbourhood level, ensuring we deliver on our future plans to safely reduce the number of children looked after

Safeguard and support children, young people and vulnerable adults to live safely with family or independently in their community

Safeguarding is one of our core responsibilities as a council. We work closely with a network of partners to ensure that children, young people, and vulnerable adults are protected and empowered to live safely. Our integrated approach brings together expertise from health, social care, education, housing, community safety, the third sector and community organisations so we can deliver effective interventions and promote independence. By prioritising early help and reducing risk, we strive to create safe environments where everyone can thrive, whether within their families or independently in the community.

We will:

• launch and implement the new Corporate Parenting Strategy and make measurable progress in its first year to improve the quality of care for looked after children and care experienced
• expand placement options and enhance stability for children in care by recruiting a more diverse pool of foster carers to meet a wide range of needs. In 2026/27, we will develop six additional residential homes in Leeds, reducing reliance on out-of-area placements and increasing the variety of homes available to support children with different requirements. From 2027 we will provide an integrated support offer to children in care and care leavers by establishing new skilled, multi-disciplinary and co-located teams
• build on learning from the ‘Community Mission Challenge’ delivered in February and March 2026, implementing solutions developed through test, learn and grow to enable a more integrated health and care family approach that prevents children at risk from becoming Children Looked After (CLA)

Ensure everyone has access to the building blocks of good health, reducing inequalities so people can live and age well in their communities

Our work to reduce health inequalities spans across all four of the Leeds Ambitions, reflecting the impact of wider and social determinants of people’s health and wellbeing outcomes. Many of the examples below such as our work to be a Child Friendly and Age Friendly city are just indicators of the sort of activity and outcomes we are pursuing, with more broader programmes of activity being driven forward to achieve these ambitions. To address health inequalities, we take a whole-life approach that removes barriers to good health and wellbeing. By working in partnership with health services and community organisations, we focus our resources where they are most needed and invest in accessible services that support healthy choices. Through this strategy, we empower individuals and communities to live well at every stage of life, demonstrating our commitment to fairness and continuous improvement in health outcomes across Leeds.

We will:

• rebuild Fearnville Leisure Centre in 2026, transforming it into a modern, sustainable sports hub as part of Active Leeds’ commitment to promoting health and wellbeing across the city
• deliver an integrated programme of learning and employment support for individuals out of work or at risk of job loss due to health conditions. This includes collaborating with WYCA to support the regional Economic Inactivity Trailblazer, the government funded Healthy Working Life Supported Employment Programme, and providing excellent first-step Adult Learning
• deliver the WYCA ‘Development of the West Yorkshire Creative Health System’ contract through to 2027 with Leeds Arts, Health and Wellbeing Network (LAHWN)
• work with Inspire North to enhance the skills of our frontline housing officers, with 256 staff scheduled to complete mental health awareness training by spring 2026. In addition, we are working with WYCA to deliver full-day dementia training for selected housing staff during 2026
• lead the Age Friendly Leeds approach with partners to grow Age Friendly businesses by 50 and Ambassadors by 60 annually; increase participation in the Strength and Balance programme; and support at least 2,500 households each year with falls prevention adaptations, 1,000 with fuel poverty advice, and 850 with warmth and energy efficiency measures
• increase Child Friendly Leeds Ambassadors from 800 in 2025 to 1,000 by 2028, spanning businesses, public sector, third sector and education, to achieve a year-on-year increase in the number of free or low cost experiences provided for children and young people

Deliver high quality care services through a skilled workforce, ensuring users have choice and control over their support

Delivering excellent care is a priority for the council, and we know this means investing in developing the skills of our workforce and ensuring that care services are responsive to individual needs. By integrating health, social care, and community support, we can provide flexible, person-centred care that enables residents to exercise choice and maintain independence. On going professional development and a culture of listening to service users continues to underpin the council’s drive for quality and dignity in care, in line with our values and focus on asset based approaches.

We will:

• invest in more training for our staff that work in our children’s homes and for our foster carers to provide better support to children and young people. Additionally, we are working with the NHS to provide specific staff who understand children’s behaviour
• deliver the Adult Social Care (ASC) Care Quality Commission (CQC) Improvement Plan to reduce waiting lists for assessments; improve the accessibility of Information Advice and Guidance; improve uptake of Intermediate Care Services; increase the number of people in receipt of a Direct Payments; and increase the availability of personalised care options through the delivery of the Market Shaping Plan
• develop and enhance early intervention and preventive services to help people live independently, including by raising awareness of falls risk, improving referral pathways, expanding access to reablement, and optimising care packages through a strengths-based approach

Design integrated neighbourhood services, with partners where it makes sense, to reduce health inequalities, encourage active lifestyles and support complex health and wellbeing needs

We are committed to creating innovative, integrated services by working closely with a diverse range of partners at the neighbourhood level. Together with health and care providers, education providers, voluntary organisations, and community groups, we will develop joined-up solutions tailored to the unique needs of local communities. By focusing on integration where it adds the most value, we will tackle complex health and wellbeing challenges, reduce inequalities, and promote active, healthy lifestyles. This way of working reflects our Team Leeds ethos, championing partnership, inclusivity, and a shared drive to improve outcomes for every resident.

We will:

• lead and manage the development of a formal Provider Partnership for the city to enable the delivery of agreed health and care transformation programmes and identify options for the consolidation of functions and teams across the partners to lower costs and improve outcomes
• ensure Community Hubs play a key role in developing and delivering the neighbourhood health approach, integrating physical activity with health information and services, such as blood pressure checks, diagnostics, and social prescribing, in collaboration with the NHS
• continue to work in partnership with system partners to deliver the Home First 2 programme, to improve hospital admission avoidance and increase uptake of and access to intermediate care services
• pilot neighbourhood-based approaches to improve children’s opportunities for play, active travel, and outdoor activity, delivering evidence-led frameworks in 2026 and preparing for city-wide rollout from 2027 including development of the Designing for Play toolkit
• ensure that we systematically embed a Health Equity in all Policies approach, addressing health inequalities in line with Marmot City principles and providing leadership for city-wide work as a designated Marmot City
• contribute to the development of the neighbourhood model of health and care as part of the Neighbourhood Improvement Implementation Plan pilot
• implement the Leeds Drug and Alcohol Strategy 2025 to 2030 to provide data and intelligence to inform alcohol licensing decisions, provide drug and alcohol treatment to over 5,500 Leeds residents per year, support those with drug and/or alcohol issues into sustained employment, and increase the number of Lived Experience Recovery Organisations in Leeds from two to four by 2029
• work in partnership with the NHS in areas with low confidence in vaccines to expand outreach and engagement, recruit and train at least 130 community champions, and train over 100 frontline workers in vaccine confidence building
• provide an integrated sexual health provision to expand outreach in deprived areas by increasing clinical appointment by 15%, double clinical walk in sessions for young people, and train 100 workers to deliver quality sexual health interventions in the community
• reduce mortality and inequalities from cardiovascular disease and other long-term conditions by increasing the rate and proportion of NHS Health Checks undertaken by residents living in the most deprived areas
• advance Vision Zero by eliminating deaths and serious injuries on Leeds roads. Achieve a 25% reduction by the end of 2026, a 50% reduction by 2030, and reach zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2040

Growing

What we will do:

Work with education partners to reduce the attainment gap and ensure all children and young people can access learning, training and job opportunities

We work as one team with schools, colleges, and training providers to close the educational attainment gap, making sure every child and young person in Leeds can fulfil their potential. Our approach is rooted in partnership, listening, and shared ambition, constantly adapting our support, co-designing solutions with families and the learning sector, and connecting education to real opportunities. By working together and staying responsive to the city’s needs, we’re building a fairer future where all young people can thrive.

We will:

• work closely with parents, carers, and other stakeholders to co-design and implement a robust SEND improvement plan, aiming to deliver significant improvements in the delivery of Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)s and for our performance to match national rates within three years
• work with education providers in the city to establish the Leeds Education Partnership to improve attainment and attendance rate
• deliver the Informed Choices programme to provide high-quality careers support to schools, colleges and sixth forms by connecting employers with education providers through brokerage, events and flagship careers activities; expanding apprenticeship engagement; increasing school participation in the Careers Network; and supporting schools to achieve Gatsby Benchmarks for high-quality careers guidance
• reduce NEET (not in education, employment or training) rates and boost participation in post-16 education by creating a strong network of secondary and post-16 providers focused on progression pathways and transition support, while expanding the Risk of NEET Indicator (RONI) tool to 80% of secondary schools to identify and support at-risk students during transitions

Partner to shape high quality skills and training which helps local people access good jobs and address skills gaps to support business growth

We work side by side with WYCA, education providers and business partners to shape a skills and training offer that truly opens doors for local people and helps businesses thrive. By listening, collaborating, and adapting our programmes, we make sure training matches real job opportunities and addresses skills gaps. Our approach is all about partnership and shared ambition, so together we’re building a stronger Leeds where everyone can succeed.

We will:

• refresh the Future Talent Plan to reflect the Economic Vision and continue to align education and training with employer needs, develop clear talent pipelines and progression pathways, support inclusive recruitment and healthy workplaces, promote careers education for young people, and encourage economically inactive individuals back into work
• lead the delivery of the Leeds Innovation Vision by convening and strengthening the Leeds Innovation Partnership, working with partners to support Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurs, and driving collaboration through the Leeds Digital Forum and Digital Board to grow the city’s innovation ecosystem
• further develop skills and training for residents by providing opportunities for people to access digital skills provision in community venues via the 100% Digital Leeds programme

Promote the city nationally and internationally to attract inward investment, stimulate innovation and position the city as a leading host for major events, driving inclusive growth

We champion Leeds on the national and international stage, working with partners to attract investment, spark innovation and secure major events for our city. By building strong relationships and showcasing what makes Leeds unique, we’re creating new opportunities, driving inclusive growth, and making Leeds the first choice for business, culture, and visitors. Our approach is collaborative, ambitious and always evolving to ensure everyone benefits from the city’s success.

We will:

• support the growth of Leeds businesses with a focus on key sectors identified in our Economic Vision Financial and Professional Services; Health; and Digital and Tech. We will do this by turbocharging the city centre and growing its impact through regeneration that opens up opportunity in the inner city; developing the Northern Square Mile into a financial hub of national significance; developing the Innovation Arc as a hub for knowledge-driven economic development; delivering the new British Library North; and transforming the South Bank as one of the UK's Government's potential New Towns
• attract new businesses to locate and grow in Leeds through a strengthened inward investment and international strategy working with WYCA and developing the Leeds Investment Partnership which will work with business partners to promote Leeds and support inward investment proposals to land well in the city
• deliver a world-class events programme that generates economic and social benefits for Leeds including flagship events in sport, such as the Women’s Test Cricket and bidding to be a host city for the Fifa Women’s World Cup (FWWC) 2035, and music, including Leeds Festival and the new AEG Roundhay Festival
• lead on innovation with iLeeds, an evolution of the decade long Leeds Innovation Partnership, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship as a skill alongside supporting the major growth sectors. Continuing the focus on HealthTech, by supporting the development and delivery of the West Yorkshire Investment Zone as a critical Leeds-based site
• embed Social Value across all activities, requiring suppliers to deliver measurable social, economic, and environmental benefits and work with partners to refresh our Social Value Charter to support delivery of the Leeds Ambitions

Build a city that works for everyone, through transformational regeneration that will deliver new homes, high quality diverse neighbourhoods and spaces for businesses to locate and grow

We take a proactive approach to increasing the supply of all homes and growing our affordable housing supply to make a home accessible for more people in Leeds. By working closely with partners, communities, and the housing sector, we focus on early intervention to prevent homelessness and rough sleeping, while streamlining support for those in urgent need. We continually strengthen collaboration across our services to identify challenges early and deliver integrated solutions that help families secure safe, suitable homes. Our commitment to prevention and partnership is central to reducing housing inequalities and ensuring everyone in Leeds has the foundation for a stable and secure future.

We will:

• work to adopt the Leeds Local Plan 2042, providing clear direction and policy context for sustainable spatial development of the city and ensuring the adequacy of the required five-year housing land supply and the strong assessment of housing needs in the district
• unlock the delivery of up to 50,000 new homes as part of the Leeds Transformational Regeneration Programme, ensuring high-quality, sustainable housing across key regeneration areas to support a growing and inclusive city centre
• seize the opportunity to deliver high-quality and well-connected homes at pace in the South Bank through the Government’s New Town initiative
• work closely with Government and other partners through the Leeds Transformational Regeneration Partnership to unlock new homes, renew infrastructure, deliver major cultural anchors, and enable the continued growth and transformation of the city centre. With a particular focus on expanding neighbourhoods to the west, east and south of the city centre to create vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive places that support economic growth and community wellbeing
• drive inclusive growth, tackle inequality and position Leeds as a leading cultural and innovation hub by leveraging assets such as a new British Library North, a new National Poetry Centre, and an expanded Royal Armouries Museum
• build on the opportunity presented through the planned expansion of Elland Road Stadium to maximise the regeneration potential of the surrounding area which could deliver a multi billion pound boost to the city’s economy, including potentially up to 2,000 new homes and major leisure and commercial opportunities
• continue with a focus on homelessness prevention measures, streamlined rehousing pathways and strengthened lettings and allocations policies to respond to social housing demand pressures
• create the conditions for delivery of affordable housing at scale in the city by the council, Registered Providers, developers and third sector – sharing the delivery programme, capacity and critically securing Government funding for the national Affordable Homes Programme
• significantly increase the number of leased properties through the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) to meet temporary accommodation requirements, ensure timely support for people in urgent housing need, and mitigate housing benefit subsidy loss pressures
• continue delivering council homes, by progressing with the 1,500 council house growth pipeline, including 55 homes at Ambertons by March 2026; 500 new builds by summer 2026; 82 homes at Hough Top by November 2026; the 63-apartment Middlecross extra care scheme by spring 2027; more than 1,000 homes by late 2027 or early 2028; and starting the Highways high-rise scheme by early 2028

Provide high quality social housing and improve standards in the private rented sector through effective regulation and outreach

We are committed to setting a high standard for social housing and the private rented sector in Leeds. By combining clear regulation with practical support, we help landlords meet their responsibilities and encourage good practice across the city. Our teams engage directly with residents and property owners to address concerns, resolve issues, and promote safe, comfortable living environments. Through ongoing dialogue and a focus on quality, we aim to build trust and raise expectations, ensuring everyone has access to a home they can be proud of.

We will:

• implement the new Selective Licensing scheme in five priority areas Harehills, Cross Green, Holbeck, Beeston, and Armley from February 2026 to improve housing standards in the private rented sector and support provision of tailored support to residents based on needs identified during property inspections
• deliver a £30.2m retrofit programme running to 2028 to improve the thermal efficiency of 1,400 council homes, funded by £13.8m from the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund and £16.4m from the Housing Revenue Account
• review and rebrand the Leeds Rental Standard to increase participation among private sector landlords, strengthening this self-regulation scheme to educate landlords and influence the city’s private rented sector. The refreshed approach will promote best practice and encourage collaborative engagement to improve housing standards
• implement new enforcement powers under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, including higher civil penalties, expanded investigatory powers, mandatory reporting, and extended rent repayment orders. These measures will support key reforms from May 2026, such as ending Section 21 evictions, introducing new tenancy rules, and strengthening anti-discrimination protections

Thriving

What we will do:

Deliver high-quality, customer-focused services that build trust and pride in our communities

We are dedicated to delivering council services that communities can see and rely on every day. By focusing on quality, consistency, and responsiveness, our teams work across the city to keep neighbourhoods clean, safe, and well maintained. We listen to local feedback, act quickly to resolve issues, and continually improve how we work. Through visible, effective service delivery, we help foster pride in Leeds and support communities to feel confident in their local council.

We will:

• harness the potential of our customer transformation activity to make services the council delivery more accessible, digitally enabled and aligned with partners where it makes sense so residents have improved access to the services they need in a way that works for them
• deliver the simpler recycling and waste management strategy, including food waste collections, route re-design and updated working arrangements as required
• integrate data and intelligence from Public Health into licensing processes to identify alcohol related harm in localities and inform the review of Cumulative Impact Areas, acknowledging that health is not a statutory licensing objective under the Licensing Act 2003

Work with our partners on the Safer Leeds Executive to ensure people feel safe and secure where they live

We are committed to making Leeds a place where everyone feels safe and secure. By working closely with West Yorkshire Police and a wide range of partners, we share information, coordinate action, and respond quickly to local concerns. Our teams are visible and accessible in communities, building trust and tackling issues such as anti-social behaviour together with residents. Through ongoing collaboration and a focus on prevention, we aim to create neighbourhoods where people feel safe, confident, connected, and are able to shape the safety of their area.

We will:

• tackle antisocial behaviour and serious violence by working with partners to apply interventions and enforcement tools against youth nuisance, aggressive behaviours, and motor vehicle misuse; share intelligence and deliver community-based prevention to reduce risk and vulnerability
• address hate crime and violence against women and girls through targeted awareness campaigns, improved reporting mechanisms (including community and school-based centres), and timely victim support

Empower communities to shape their neighbourhoods and strengthen local decision-making

We are committed to empowering communities to shape their local areas and influence decisions that matter to them. By creating accessible opportunities for residents to share their views and get involved, we support genuine participation in local planning and service design. Our teams work alongside community groups and partners to build strong relationships, encourage local leadership, and ensure that every voice is heard. Through ongoing engagement and support, we help communities take pride in their neighbourhoods and play an active role in making them better places to live.

We will:

• drive improvement in priority wards and neighbourhoods through a joined-up, place-based approach, building on the Neighbourhood Improvement model and aligning with the National Neighbourhood Health Improvement Programme (NNHIP), the Community Mission Challenge (CMC), and the Leeds Community Power Delivery Plan to reduce inequalities
• enhance collaboration with communities and the third sector to support sustainability and community power, including implementing the Community Committee Review and developing Pride in Place opportunities alongside maintaining engagement through Equality Hubs
• strengthen connectivity and inclusion by integrating services in locality buildings, embedding local voices in decision-making through engagement insights, and expand digital inclusion via the 100% Digital Leeds programme to help people connect with their communities and services

Foster community cohesion and encourage community leadership by promoting inclusion, diversity, and shared belonging

We are committed to fostering community leadership and bringing people together to celebrate Leeds diversity and strengthen our shared sense of belonging. By supporting local leaders, community groups, and events we create opportunities for residents to connect, learn from one another, and build positive relationships. Our teams work alongside communities to promote inclusion, challenge discrimination, and encourage participation in city life. Through ongoing collaboration and visible support, we help make Leeds a welcoming city where everyone feels valued and part of a shared future.

We will:

• agree and implement a new community cohesion strategy for the city, working with partners and residents to strengthen inclusion, belonging, and shared values

Collaborate with culture, sport, and arts partners to deliver a diverse, accessible offer and boost economic growth through major events

We work closely with partners in culture, sport, and the arts to sustain a vibrant and diverse offer across Leeds. By collaborating on major events and creative programmes, we will open up opportunities for everyone to take part and enjoy what the city has to offer. Our teams focus on removing barriers to access, supporting local talent, and ensuring that cultural activity drives economic growth and community pride. Through ongoing partnership and innovation, we help make Leeds a city where culture is celebrated and shared by all.

We will:

• strengthen Leeds cultural offer and sustainability by delivering a refreshed Culture Strategy in 2026, convening the sector through a Cultural Compact, and launching a Philanthropy Strategy to increase major donor giving for culture and community organisations
• champion play-friendly communities by applying play sufficiency principles to improve public spaces, removing barriers such as ‘no ball games’ signage, and leading a city-wide campaign for neighbourhood play
• celebrate Leeds 400th anniversary with a city-wide programme of low-cost events that showcases Leeds heritage, culture, and community pride
• reduce physical inactivity by delivering a £1.6m Sport England-funded programme (decision pending) in eight priority areas, working with communities to promote active lifestyles

Resilient

What we will do:

Work with partners to prevent climate risks and protect Leeds natural and built environment for a resilient future

We are investing in Leeds to create a more resilient natural and built environment which is adaptable to the challenges of climate change. By working with partners and communities, we deliver projects that protect green spaces, improve infrastructure, and support sustainable growth. Our teams focus on innovation and long-term planning, ensuring that both new developments and existing neighbourhoods are equipped to adapt and thrive. Through ongoing collaboration and targeted investment, we help secure a greener, healthier future for everyone in the city.

We will:

• invest in green infrastructure and energy transition by delivering the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) programme, starting with 30 new EV charging sites in 2026 and scaling to hundreds city-wide, and by expanding low carbon heat networks as a flagship priority, growing the Leeds PIPES network and procuring a partner to deliver a major new city centre heat network within three years
• strengthen climate resilience through a new Flood Risk Management Strategy for priority catchments and innovative partnerships like the Aire Resilience Company to help Leeds adapt to climate change. This builds on previous delivery of nationally significant Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme(s) which we continue to ensure are maintained as operationally ready

Reduce carbon emissions and make council operations more sustainable at pace

We are committed to reducing our carbon emissions and making council operations more sustainable at pace. By investing in greener technologies, improving our buildings, and changing how we work, we’re cutting our environmental impact across all services. Our teams collaborate across the organisation to find new solutions, monitor progress, and share best practice, ensuring we lead by example and help create a cleaner, more sustainable Leeds for everyone.

We will:

• commit to replacing all remaining internal combustion engine small vans with Electric Vehicle (EV) alternatives, unless there is an operational reason not to do so, resulting in over 100 more EVs added to the fleet in addition to the nearly 300 already in service. Larger vehicles will also be considered for EV replacement where possible

Strategically plan for a greener, healthier, and more connected city that supports biodiversity and climate resilience

We are shaping Leeds built environment to be greener, healthier, and better connected as our city grows. By working with partners, developers, and communities, we design and deliver projects that enhance biodiversity, create quality green spaces, and improve links between neighbourhoods. Our teams focus on long-term planning and sustainable design, ensuring that new developments and regeneration support active lifestyles and climate resilience. Through collaboration and innovation, we’re building a city where people and nature can thrive together.

We will:

• work with WYCA and partners to deliver a clear city-wide plan for climate targets, aligning spatial planning and growth with sustainable locations, integrated transport, and green infrastructure exploiting the opportunities of the forthcoming West Yorkshire Spatial Development Strategy
• advance green space and biodiversity improvements by delivering the Parks and Green Spaces Strategy, including planting 50 hectares of woodland annually, enhancing habitats, and eliminating peat use and implementing additional biodiversity actions on council owned land
• support resilience and sustainable growth through the Leeds Local Plan, Leeds Habitat Company and city centre regeneration to create more bigger and better-connected greenspaces across the city that deliver nature recovery, thriving communities and places to be proud of

Work with WYCA and partners to transform transport and infrastructure, improving connectivity, accessibility and supporting inclusive growth

We work closely with WYCA to make Leeds road and transport network well-maintained, safe, and accessible for everyone. By investing in sustainable infrastructure, improving public transport, and upgrading key routes, our teams help connect communities and support greener travel choices. Through ongoing partnership and careful planning, we will ensure our transport system adapts to the city’s needs, making it easier for people to get around safely and sustainably

We will:

• transform Leeds’ transport network and railway station by working with WYCA to deliver the first phases of mass transit before 2030; complete the Leeds Sustainable Travel Gateway (£46m) by 2026; expand station concourses and entrances through Phases 2 to 4 (£280m); implement the Integrated Station Masterplan to increase capacity to 50 million passengers annually; and integrate sustainable travel under the Weaver Network while adopting the Spatial Development Framework to support growth and regeneration
• drive inclusive growth through major employment and regeneration projects, including the North-West Leeds Employment Hub (65,000 sqm), White Rose Park’s carbon-neutral expansion by 2030, and the next phase of Thorpe Park with new offices, homes, and a railway station
• work with WYCA to deliver an integrated public transport system under The Weaver Network brand, combining bus franchising, new rail stations, and mass transit to create a seamless, sustainable travel experience
• maintain and upgrade strategic road infrastructure, including the Leeds Inner Ring Road, to enable city transformation and support mass transit delivery
• expand and connect cycling and walking networks through the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, promoting active travel as a safe, attractive alternative to car use
• implement the Vision Zero 2040 strategy using a Safe System approach to eliminate fatal and serious road injuries, creating safer streets for all

Work with communities to create and improve green spaces and facilities that promote active lifestyles, connectivity, and regeneration

We work with communities across Leeds to make sure everyone can enjoy well-maintained, accessible green spaces close to home. By listening to local needs and partnering with residents, our teams improve parks and public spaces, support community-led projects, and remove barriers to access. Through ongoing collaboration and investment, we help create greener neighbourhoods where people can relax, play, and connect with nature.

We will:

• develop new attractions and facilities to promote active lifestyles and community engagement, including a new adventure playground at Lotherton Estate (from summer 2026), a Learn to Ride Cycle Facility at Temple Newsam Golf Course, and two all-weather pitches supported by a skills development programme and membership model for long-term sustainability and income generation
• create new green spaces that connect communities and support regeneration, such as establishing a new park at Green Park linking Thorpe Park offices and the Springs retail complex to provide accessible greenspace and employment opportunities

Embedding our plan

Delivering the Council Plan requires the whole organisation to work in a more integrated and targeted way using it as the anchor for how we plan, prioritise, take decisions and track progress. Embedding it successfully means strengthening our enabling strategies, clarifying our internal governance, and developing a performance and insight system that gives us a shared understanding of how we are doing and where we need to focus attention.

This section sets out how we will embed this plan into the day-to-day running of the council and ensure our ambitions for Leeds are translated into consistent, measurable delivery.

A connected strategic framework

Over the next year, we will refresh our enabling strategies so that together they form a single, aligned framework supporting this Council Plan. Each will have a clear remit, sharper measures of success, and a strong connection to our Reset and Reshape priorities.

People and culture strategy

Our refreshed People and Culture Strategy will guide how we support and develop our workforce through a period of significant organisational change and help us provide a great all-round experience for all colleagues. It will ensure we give everyone joining the council a warm welcome and then support them throughout their career in a safe, healthy, fair and inclusive workplace. Reflecting the themes in our staff survey and our ambition to be a modern, values-led employer, the Strategy will:

• refresh our organisational Values and Behaviours and set expectations for leaders and managers
• explore how we can spend more time together and in person to build stronger teams and improve delivery
• strengthen workforce development through a council-wide review of skills, learning pathways and career progression including our approach to talent management and flexible deployment so we make the most of our people’s skills
• enhance data and insights on workforce performance, wellbeing, and inclusion to target support where it is needed most
• build digital capability and confidence across the workforce, linked directly to AI and automation opportunities where these are identified through reset and reshape
• improve our approaches to front line engagement and act on staff survey feedback more broadly through the agreed service-level action plans
• continue to deliver on our wide range of existing workforce priorities, including EDI, Pay, Recognition, Leadership and Management Development and Health, Safety and Wellbeing

Digital Strategy

Our new Digital Strategy will be published in 2026 and will set out how digital and technology can enable a wide range of activity supporting the council to reset and reshape. The Strategy will help drive improvements in efficiency and productivity across the council, with a clear focus on embedding common technology platforms such as Microsoft Dynamics, Dataverse, Power Platform, Azure Data Platform and M365 as the backbone of our future operating model. Through implementation of the new strategy we will:

• create a single foundation for joined-up customer journeys, streamlined back-office processes and improved data flows, particularly through joined-up delivery with the Customer Strategy
• ensure all four major Integrated Digital Service (IDS) change programmes Customer Transformation, Prevention, Operational Efficiencies and Core Business Systems are connected through shared digital design principles
• expand the responsible use of automation and AI, aligned to our organisational values, to free up time for frontline work and improve our productivity
• establish processes for prioritising digital investment and council-wide resource planning across all transformation activity
• use the digital tools and platforms we have available to strengthen delivery of Council Plan priorities, such as maximising the potential of Dynamics to improve our approach to performance, staffing and budget management

Medium term financial strategy

The MTFS will continue to underpin our drive for long term financial sustainability and will support the council to make the best possible use of a multi-year financial settlement from government. Integrated with our approach to Reset and Reshape we will seek to rebuild the council’s reserves to support long term stability over the MTFS period. Our key areas of focus will include ensuring:

• we close the annual budget gap through a combination of revenue growth, prevention, organisational effectiveness and locality working, supported by directorate-based savings where required
• we strengthen financial resilience and end recruitment and central spending controls once sustainable conditions are met
• investment decisions are aligned tightly to our reset and reshape priorities and the Leeds Ambitions.

Together, these strategies will form a single spine behind the Council Plan ensuring that people, culture, technology and resources all pull in the same direction.

Planning that links strategy, planning and delivery

A consistent and transparent approach to service planning is essential if this Council Plan is to drive real change for residents and meet the council’s objectives. Over the next 12 months we will implement a strengthened service planning model that clearly links the Council Plan to delivery, service standards and continuous improvement with 2026/27 being a learning year where we will refine our approach.

Each service will produce an annual service plan that sets out its contribution to the priorities and outcomes in the Council Plan; the level of service residents should expect; the key measures that show whether those standards are being met; improvement objectives where performance needs to strengthen; and priority areas for reset and reshape activity.

These service plans will translate strategic priorities into focused, deliverable commitments for the year ahead. They will be aligned to agreed budgets and workforce plans and will flow through into team plans and individual appraisal objectives, creating a clear line of sight from strategic ambition to day-to-day activity.

Service standards and accountability

As part of this approach, we will publish clear service standards for all core services. These standards will clearly set out what residents can expect, how services will be delivered, and how we will measure success. They will provide a shared understanding of the level of service the council aims to provide and will support fairness, consistency and accountability across the organisation and to the public.

Service plans will identify the performance measures used to monitor delivery of these standards and will include specific improvement actions where services are not yet meeting expectations. This will help ensure that residents receive value for money and that improvement activity is focused on the areas that matter most, while also ensuring council staff see the value of the contribution they are making.

We will aim to have standards in place for all services by the end of 2026.

A clear annual planning and review cycle

Service planning will operate as a continuous, evidence-led cycle rather than a one off annual exercise. Senior leaders will be responsible for ensuring that service plans are realistic, measurable and deliverable within available resources.

Progress against service plans and service standards will be monitored throughout the year using performance data, resident feedback and insights from staff engagement. We will report on delivery at the end of each year, setting out what has been achieved, where performance has improved, and where further action is required.

A more integrated view of performance and outcomes

Alongside stronger service planning and clearer service standards, we will develop a more integrated approach to performance management that brings together the information needed to understand delivery and outcomes in the round.

Over time, we will connect information that is currently often held and reported separately including service performance, financial and workforce data, and progress across our Reset and Reshape programmes to provide Elected Members, leaders and managers with a clear, accessible view of where the council is performing well and where further action is needed.

This integrated view will strengthen decision making and oversight by showing how service delivery, transformation activity and the use of resources combine to deliver outcomes for people and places.

As our data platform develops, we will make stronger and more consistent use of local and neighbourhood insight building on existing approaches to understand variation across communities and to better target action and investment. Over time, other measures will be aligned with the national Local Government Outcomes Framework once available (expected early 2026).

Find more detailed information about the council’s current performance framework.