THE
GRYPHON
Issue #3 17.11.2025
Leeds University’s student newspaper | Est.1897
Trams in Leeds - the best option to improve West Yorkshire’s public transport? Reuben Arya
A
fter many failed attempts, a new proposal for mass transit in Leeds was pledged by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) in spring 2024. Implementing mass transit has been a topic of discussion for West Yorkshire and Leeds, in particular, for decades. It is often framed as a necessity for improving the region. Yet, conversations often bypass the fact that there is the potential for improving the existing bus infrastructure at a significantly reduced cost compared to that of imple-
menting an entirely new system. This raises the question of whether the new proposal is a political choice or whether the provision of a mass transit system is really the best economic and environmental option for the millions in the region. Background to the new proposal West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin has hailed the project’s economic and social potential. She has argued that “mass transit systems have successfully helped to regenerate areas
Classic fast food company to open new location in Leeds American Fast-food chain Mcdonalds is set to open a new location on the famed Otley Run route.
T
Katie Morris
he fast food chain’s latest premises is set to open on Wednesday (29 October) on Otley Road, where thousands of punters flock to each week for the famous ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl. Opposition has come from residents, as the area houses restaurants from rival franchises, such as Burger King and Pizza Hut, with concerns over healthy eating. Concerns also come from how the new restaurant will be managed during the Pub crawls busiest times every Saturday. The Otley Run is a pub crawl across the three miles down Otley Road, from Woodies, in Far Headingley, to Dry Dock, on the edge of the city centre. It attracts up to 4,000 people every Saturday to its 19-pub list, often in fancy dress. Continued on Page 3>>
right across the country by boosting connectivity, opportunity and prosperity.” According to the WYCA, the plans are central to its £7 billion growth plan that is forecast to support 33,000 jobs and unlock £26 billion of economic growth over a ten-year period until 2034. WYCA will confirm its preferred routes (see below) this year for phase one of the project. Phase one has two lines - the first is the Leeds line linking Leeds City Centre and White Rose, and the second
connecting Leeds City Centre and Bradford City Centre (the Bradford line). The proposals appeared to demonstrate strong public backing, with 77% for the former and 71% for the latter. The plans gained significant momentum when Chancellor Rachel Reeves, MP for Leeds West and Pudsey, pledged over £2 billion towards the first two lines. She also guaranteed in October that building would begin in this parliament.
Purple Plaque awarded to University of Leeds researcher Gabriel Morrissey-Limb
A
purple plaque has been unveiled for the first time at the University of leeds after Amanca MacCanell won the prestigious UK Women in Innovation award. Award winners can choose a location they are connected to for the personalised purple plaque, which celebrate women innovators. Amanda, who studied for a PhD and is now a researcher at the university of leeds was one of only 50 women across the UK to receive the award. Choosing to have her plaque installed at the University’s HELIX building, where she carried out much of her research, she said: “Getting a plaque was a surreal moment, but uplifting as hopefully it will show other women that they too can pursue innovation,” “The recognition that the plaque has given me is a reminder that with the right people around you, a bit of courage and a lot of
persistence, you can step into spaces you never imagined yourself in.” Amanda was also awarded £75,000 for herbusiness Pathways Open by Innovate UK. Initially from Canada, Amanda came to Leeds in 2018, for an interview with the British heart Foundation who funded her PhD. Despite this, Amanda needed more funding an applied to the Women in Innovation awards, alongside roughly 1400 other women. The plaque was unveiled by Chantelle Reeves, Senior Innovation and Growth Specialist for RTC North, Margaret Korosec, Dean of Online and Digital Education at the University of Leeds and Brian Baillie, Head of Business Start-Up Service.
Leeds’ history of broken transport plans However, these new plans are likely to be received with some scepticism. Leeds has a reputation for such projects falling through. After its original tram network was lost in the 1950s, plans for light rail in the 1980s, the Leeds Advanced Transit in the 1990s, the Supertram project under New Labour and a trolleybus proposal in the 2010s all collapsed Continued on Page 5>>
News A new pub on the Otley Run? Page 3 Lifestyle First Date Dillemas Page 3 Fashion Leeds Culture Day Page 3 Enigma TV Crossword, Accom Wordsearch Page 3
Contents: 2 Editorial 11 Lifestyle 3 News 12 Photography 4 Opinion 14 Science & 5 Features Climate 7 Arts & Culture 15 Sport 8 Music & Clubs 16 Enigma 10 Fashion