Here’s a rundown of the top politics stories in Leeds this week:

West Yorkshire’s net-zero plans to be presented to world leaders

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin is attending the C40 World Mayors Summit in Brazil this week to join the push for bolder climate action.

She will be speaking to some of the world’s most prominent city leaders ahead of the landmark COP30 climate conference in Rio.

West Yorkshire has seen over £300 million leveraged into cutting emissions over the past five years.

Investments in clean power include incentives for businesses to ‘green their processes’ and making solar panels more affordable for local households.

The county’s green economy is already worth £8.1 billion and is set to grow by 37% by 2025/26.

Mayor Brabin said: “West Yorkshire is proving that net zero does not have to mean extra costs for hardworking families – it can mean better-paid jobs, lower bills and more vibrant communities for all.

“By investing in skills, working with business and backing innovation in our booming green sector, we’re powering new industries and pushing ahead to meet our target of a net zero West Yorkshire by 2038.

“I’m joining London Mayor Sadiq Khan in Rio this week to show that with devolution, we no longer have to sit around and wait for national leaders to rescue us from the cost of living and the climate crisis – we can take bold action ourselves to deliver real change.”

60,000 Leeds postal voters risk losing vote as renewal deadline approaches

Voters in Leeds are being warned to renew their details as the deadline for postal votes for the next election nears.

All registered postal voters in the city who applied to use postal voting before 30 January 2024 need to renew their details by the end of January 2026 to stop their postal vote option being cancelled.

Leeds City Council has contacted postal voters in the city twice already this year, asking them to complete the renewal.

This is required through the Elections Act 2022 needing postal voters to renew their postal vote application every three years.

An identity check is now included as part of the process.

Despite receiving the information, approximately 60,000 postal voters in Leeds have still not responded.

As part of the changes introduced by the government, all postal vote applications must contain the applicant’s name, address, date of birth, national insurance number and a clear image of their signature.

Their identity will be verified against records held by the Department for Work and Pensions.

If this check fails, the applicant must provide further evidence of their identity.

Leeds will hold its next local elections in May 2026.

Court action highlights Leeds council’s tough stance on tenancy fraud

Leeds City Council has hailed a series of successful court cases as a ‘clear signal’ of its determination to combat housing fraud.

The council has brought separate civil proceedings against four of its tenants in recent months after checks revealed they were subletting their homes.

Proceedings were also brought against a fifth tenant over a number of tenancy breaches, including a form of fraud known as non-occupation.

Each case ended with the granting of a possession order at court, which allowed the council to take back the homes involved so they can be re-let to people on its housing register.

In addition to the loss of their properties, the various defendants were ordered to pay more than £12,000 in court costs between them.

The cases, which went to court between February and June this year, involved two homes in Bramley and three others in Beeston, Middleton and Morley.

Councillor Jess Lennox, executive member for housing, said: “We treat tenancy fraud as an extremely serious matter and always aim to take timely and effective action when we identify wrongdoing of this kind.

“The recent cases are a clear signal of our ongoing determination to ensure that council housing in Leeds serves the needs of genuine tenants, rather than those who seek to exploit the system and line their own pockets.”

Subletting, which is one of the most common types of council tenancy fraud, occurs when a tenant moves out of their home and illegally rents it to someone else.

Other types include Right to Buy fraud – when a person attempts to acquire a council-owned property despite not living there.

Housing application fraud is when someone submits false information in an attempt to secure a home.

Non-occupation, meanwhile, occurs when a person who has been granted a tenancy does not use the property as their primary residence.