THE LEEDS BRIEF ⏰ Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Good morning, Leeds! 🦉 Whatever part of the city you're waking up in today — whether that's Headingley, Harehills, Holbeck or Horsforth — this is everything that matters pulled together from the council, the courts, the police and the community so you don't have to go looking.

📰 NEWS

🚲 Bikes to Be Banned from Briggate — and Locals Said Yes in Their Thousands — Plans to prevent cyclists from riding through Briggate and the city centre's pedestrianised shopping area are moving forward after an overwhelming public response. An estimated 1,100 bikes travel through the area every day — many of them heavy delivery e-bikes that can reach 45mph — and Leeds City Council consulted more than 2,100 people on what to do about it. The result: 87% backed a requirement to walk bikes rather than ride them through Briggate, Lands Lane, Commercial Street, Albion Place and lower Albion Street during pedestrianised hours. A further 84% supported extending pedestrianised hours from 10.30am–7pm to 10am–8pm. The council will now apply for new legislation to make it happen, with implementation hoped for within the next 6–12 months. Councillor Jonathan Pryor, deputy leader, said the plan would make the city centre "a safer place for everyone." (Source: Leeds City Council)

🏠 50 Affordable Homes Completed on Former Armley Factory Site — A brand new housing development in Armley is now complete and fully occupied, delivering 50 affordable homes on land once occupied by the Tower Works factory off Moorfield Road. The scheme — named St Andrews Grange and delivered by Yorkshire Housing with contractor Termrim Construction — includes 27 houses and 23 apartments, all for affordable or social rent. Leeds City Council contributed £750,000 and all initial tenancies have been offered to people on the housing register. It forms part of a wider push: senior councillors last week approved a 10-year strategy targeting 1,500 affordable homes a year in Leeds by 2036. (Source: Leeds City Council)

🛴 Hired Electric Scooters Are Coming to Leeds Roads — From Tomorrow — A new trial allowing hired electric scooters to use bus lanes, cycle lanes and most roads across Leeds begins tomorrow, Thursday 19 March, and could run for up to 18 months. Scooters on the scheme are capped at 15.5mph. Residents and interested parties can submit views on whether the trial should become permanent to the Travel Behaviour Change Team at Merrion House or by emailing leedscitybikes@leeds.gov.uk before September 18, 2026. Note: privately-owned e-scooters remain illegal on public roads. (Source: Yorkshire Evening Post)

🍣 Sticks'n'Sushi Announces Leeds Opening — Coming to Vicar Lane — Danish-Japanese restaurant group Sticks'n'Sushi has confirmed it will open its 18th UK restaurant on Vicar Lane in Leeds, with the announcement made today. The restaurant will occupy a three-storey, grade-II listed building spanning 8,839 sq ft — the former Flannels site — and will feature a 220-cover dining room, a 30-cover terrace and an upstairs bar with private hire space. The opening is planned for early 2027 and will create 60 new jobs. Expect sushi, sashimi, salads, grilled sticks and Japanese-Nordic fusion alongside cocktails and the brand's own yuzu pale ale. Vicar Lane is becoming quite the dining destination — Dishoom is also due to open there in summer 2026. (Sources: Yorkshire Evening Post | The Hoot Leeds)

🚨 CRIME

🔍 Wanted: Michael Fodor, Bramley — West Yorkshire Police are appealing for information about Michael Fodor, 40, wanted on recall to prison after being released on licence following a conviction for breaching a restraining order. He is believed to reside in the Bramley area and is described as around 5ft 6ins, medium build, with tattoos including a dragon on his right arm and a Chinese symbol on his neck. Anyone with information should contact Leeds police on 101, quoting reference 13260115555, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. (Source: West Yorkshire Police)

🚧 Inner Ring Road Incident — Statement Issued — Emergency services attended a concern for safety incident on the Leeds Inner Ring Road on the evening of Monday 16 March. Yorkshire Ambulance Service confirmed one patient was taken to hospital. West Yorkshire Police also attended. No further details have been released. (Source: Yorkshire Evening Post)

🎭 WHAT'S ON

🎵 Tonight in Leeds — Sigrid at the O2 Academy & The Handsome Family at Brudenell — Two cracking gigs in the city tonight. Norwegian pop star Sigrid plays the O2 Academy Leeds this evening with Etta Marcus in support — one of the most distinctive voices in European pop right now, well worth catching. Over at Brudenell Social Club, American gothic folk duo The Handsome Family bring their darkly brilliant songwriting to one of Leeds' best venues. Both shows are tonight, Wednesday 18 March. (Source: Songkick)

🎸 Coming Up This Week — Thursday brings Paul Draper (of Mansun) to Brudenell Social Club. At the City Varieties tonight, Liverpool soul-pop legends The Christians are playing — a perfect mid-week treat. And looking ahead, Gorillaz bring The Mountain Tour to First Direct Bank Arena on Wednesday 25 March — one of the biggest shows coming to Leeds this month. (Source: Welcome to Leeds)

🏃 SPORT

⚽ Leeds United vs Brentford — Saturday Under the Lights, Everything to Play For — Leeds head into Saturday's home clash against Brentford (kick-off 10pm, Elland Road — live on Sky Sports) sitting 15th in the Premier League, just three points above the bottom three with eight games to play. The Whites drew 0-0 at Crystal Palace on Sunday in a battling performance that saw them reduced to ten men after Gabriel Gudmundsson's controversial double booking — the Swede is now suspended for Saturday. Brentford arrive in seventh place, with Igor Thiago on 19 Premier League goals for the season, so Leeds will need to be at their best. The good news: Peter Crouch has predicted a 2-1 Leeds win, Noah Okafor may return to the squad after four weeks out, and Elland Road under the lights tends to be a fortress. Farke is unlikely to make wholesale changes but may consider switching to a more attacking shape. (Sources: YEP | Mot Leeds News)

🏉 Rhinos Lick Cup Wounds — Hull FC on Sunday — Leeds Rhinos crashed out of the Betfred Challenge Cup last Friday, losing 24-14 at Wakefield Trinity in a game that also featured a 25-minute floodlight failure. Coach Brad Arthur was blunt afterwards, offering no excuses and no positives, and acknowledging it was "a poor reflection of us." It's now six straight early Cup exits for the Rhinos — they haven't beaten a Super League side in the competition since winning the 2020 final at Wembley. Three fringe players — Ned McCormack, Presley Cassell and Riley Lumb — have been loaned to injury-ravaged Huddersfield Giants this week. Focus now turns fully to Super League, starting with Sunday's trip to Hull FC. (Sources: Yorkshire Evening Post | Serious About Rugby League)

💼 BUSINESS & ECONOMY

📚 Library Books Returned to Leeds — 50 Years Overdue — Two antique volumes of Geology and Mineralogy by the celebrated 19th-century scientist Reverend William Buckland have been returned to Leeds Central Library — five decades after they were due back in March 1976. The books, first published in 1836, were recently discovered by staff and reunited with the collection. No word on whether a fine has been issued. (Source: Leeds Star)

📢 NATIONAL — AFFECTS LEEDS READERS

🐕 New Dog Walking Law In Force From Today — The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 came into force today, significantly toughening rules around dogs near livestock. Fines rise from a £1,000 maximum to unlimited. Police now have powers to seize dogs. Critically, physical contact is no longer required — simply chasing or disturbing livestock is an offence, including on roads and footpaths crossing farmland. Highly relevant to anyone walking dogs in Leeds's surrounding countryside and the Yorkshire Dales. (Source: Gov.uk)