Janine GriffithsResidents in Chapeltown are being urged to share their experiences, frustrations and hopes for the future, as the Chapeltown Neighbourhood Forum gathers the final round of community feedback that will be submitted to Leeds City Council.
The forum, which has been officially recognised by the council, wants people across East Leeds to help shape a priority statement that has been “five years in the making”. Admin assistant and local resident Bec Coles says every response matters because the council has already agreed to listen to what the community identifies as its priorities.
“The council have recognised the forum and have funded the forum to gather everybody’s views on what are the priorities for the area,” she said. “The questionnaire is to make us be able to put everybody’s feedback into the priorities, because then the council will be obliged, in our view, to then take notice of what our priorities for our area are.”
Residents have until the middle of March to return their questionnaires, ideally by 15 March, although responses will still be accepted up to the end of the month, as the forum prepares its final statement. Coles says getting as many submissions as possible is essential.
People can fill in the paper version that has been mailed across Chapeltown, collect copies from the Reginald Centre, or simply scan the QR code on the form to submit their answers digitally. Responses go directly into the forum’s Microsoft Forms system. “When you submit that, it comes straight to the forum for us to compile your feedback,” Coles said.
The three core questions ask residents what they like about Chapeltown, what they don’t like, and how they would improve it. For anyone who didn’t receive a leaflet, copies can be emailed out on request and returned either by photo or in person at the Reginald Centre.
Alongside the questionnaire, the forum is encouraging people to become members by joining its email list. “All you have to do to be a part of the forum is to add yourself to our email list,” Coles explained. She says the long term aim is to build “mutually supportive” networks across local businesses, community organisations, faith groups and professionals.
Although the final priorities will come from residents themselves, Coles says people have already begun highlighting key concerns. “The main pressing concerns are the young. The provision and the development for young people and for the elders and housing, homelessness, the environment,” she said. She also emphasised that health and wellbeing, including mental health, are major issues raised so far, as well as the quality of local services.
The final community meeting will take place on Saturday 7 March at the Reginald Centre. “It’s our final community meeting, which is open to everybody,” Coles said. “It’s our final one of many that is reaching a conclusion of getting everybody’s feedback together so that we can present this priority statement to the council.”
Once the statement is submitted, the forum plans to continue its work, with further meetings later in the year to “ratify” the community’s final agreement on the document.
Residents can return forms, request copies, or join the mailing list by contacting: the.chapeltown.forum@gmail.com
You can also access the form by scanning the QR code at the top of this article.
