We are committed to giving you the best possible service at all times. We want to know your views on how we provide our services and we want to work with you to improve the way we deliver them.
The Equalities Assembly has been set up to ensure we involve all our diverse communities. It is a forum made up of Equality Hubs, which helps ensure Leeds City Council is engaging with and involving the full range of citizens that live in Leeds in the decisions it makes. It offers all equality groups the opportunity to meet and work together to let the council know the issues that affect them.
Once a year we hold an Equality Assembly Conference, which is a chance to look at the work of the Hubs over the previous 12 months and to discuss challenges ahead.
The meeting schedule for our hubs are still affecting by the response to COVID. For up to date information, please email us at
equalityteam@leeds.gov.uk external email link.
LGBT+ hub meetings
The council is committed to the aims of making Leeds an LGBT+ inclusive city, in representing the diversity of the communities and providing equity in our service provisions.
The LGBT+ Hub group meets quarterly, in a function room of the Cosmopolitan Hotel on Lower Briggate.
There are no meeting dates currently scheduled. Future meeting dates will be listed here.
This Hub group is supported by a large number of private and third sector organisations within the city, along with a number of key individuals who share the goals of making Leeds an LGBT+ inclusive city.
A sample of projects currently under development within this Hub include: sports inclusion, LGBT+, BME, Hate Crime, Domestic Violence, bullying, housing services, mental health alongside various awareness dates and campaigns.
For previous meeting notes, further information or to register for the mailing list please email
LeedsLGBT@Leeds.gov.uk.
Religion or belief hub meetings
Our religion or belief hub met for the first time on 7 March 2017 and continues to meet quarterly. The hub's priorities include:
- handling times of crisis together
- defining the role of civic leadership and providing training and support in this
- increasing Religious knowledge amongst council staff and citizens
- celebrating existing work and best practice
- identifying where we have low engagement from particular faiths and possible barriers to their participation
- working with young people
- engaging with private business around Corporate Social Responsibility
- to challenge the council and other public services such as Health, Education and the Police on how they give due regard to Religion or Belief Equality and meet the needs of faith communities when delivering their services
There are no meeting dates currently scheduled. Future meeting dates will be listed here.
For previous meeting notes, further information or to register for the mailing list please email
leedsfaith@leeds.gov.uk external email link.
Disability hub meetings
The disability hub continues to meet quarterly 11am to 1:30pm at Leeds Mencap, the Vinery Centre, 20 Vinery Terrace, Leeds LS9 9LU.
So far this year the Hub has seen presentations from the council’s Housing Options team, Engage Leeds, Leeds Credit Union and the council’s Welfare Rights team amongst others.
There are no meeting dates currently scheduled. Future meeting dates will be listed here.
For previous meeting notes, further information or to register for the mailing list please email
equalityteam@leeds.gov.uk external email link.
Hub representatives network meetings
Each of the equality hubs have a number of hub representatives who take it in turns to chair their hub meetings. Representatives from all of the Hubs meet quarterly with senior officers from the council.
Becoming a member of the equalities assembly
If you would like to become a member of the equalities assembly or for more information about it please contact us by phone: 0113 378 5998, text: 07891 270 162 or email us at
equalityteam@leeds.gov.uk.
Access and Use-Ability Group
The group is working with the council and private developers, to shape major plans for the city centre.
Jagdeep Passan (chair of the group) enthused that “Leeds City Council has taken a brave step sharing their ambitions to be the best city by involving citizens in decision making powers as experts. It shows just what we can achieve when we pay attention the wisdom of people and communities, this is essential to any change in management or the redesign process.”
Before the first stone was laid at the Victoria Gate arcade, the group was keen to ensure that all communities including disabled people could enjoy the shopping experience with everybody else. Thanks to this truly unique partnership, the arcade will exceed accessibility standards with, for example, the inclusion of adult changing facilities that meet Changing Places requirements.
A detailed commitment to accessibility is now enshrined in our Supplementary Planning Guidance, which future planning applications will have to take into consideration. The planning process for Victoria Gate is included in the guidance as an example of best practice.
The Access and Use-Ability Group is looking now towards future developments, linking up with plans to make areas including further South Bank development, the refurbishment of the West Yorkshire Playhouse area, Greek Street and City Square more pedestrian friendly and accessible.
The message is clear, Leeds deserves a city centre that everybody can enjoy and this will happen much sooner if all citizens have a role in designing it.
Community committees
There are ten community committees across the city each providing a forum for local people to have their say about what happens in their community. Community committees are an important part of the council’s decision making process and each committee has elected members as voting members.
The community committee holds at least four public meetings a year, where local people can meet with each other and with councillors, to discuss key issues of concern, and help influence decisions on matters of local interest.
Attending the meetings allows local people and councillors’ time to get to know groups and organisations that work in the area.
How community committees work
Local councillors elected to represent the area sit on the community committee, involve local people in discussions about the issues, and take decisions on key areas such as environmental improvements, community safety, health and wellbeing and employment.
The community committees also allocate money for local projects and activities. More information can be found by contacting your local area support team.
Get involved with your local community committee
- Attend a meeting
- Contact your local councillor
- Ask a question or take part in a discussion either at a meeting or through our social media pages.
Meetings are held at different locations across the city, generally starting in the early evening and lasting a couple of hours.
All meetings are open to the public and are usually themed around a particular topic. Details of your local community committee can be found on our
committees page.
