Leeds to bring employment hub to market within 12 months
Speaking at the West Yorkshire Development Update, Lee Arnell, head of place and regeneration programmes at the council, said the authority was readying the 90-acre site, located adjacent to Leeds Bradford Airport, for development.
Arnell said: “The city council owns around 36 hectares [90 acres] of land adjacent to the airport, which we’ve excitingly called the North West Leeds Employment Hub – we will think of a better name. We’ll be bringing that to the market hopefully in the next 12 months.”
The site forms part of the council’s wider strategy to strengthen Leeds’ employment offer by creating a major business destination alongside the airport, supported by future transport improvements.
“It’s one where we’ve got the airport as a gateway to the region,” Arnell said. “It’s – how do we really create an economic destination, in addition to the visitor economy, supported by the potential parkway rail station.”
The employment hub is identified as a strategic allocation in the Leeds Local Plan and is intended to deliver modern industrial and employment space capable of supporting sectors including advanced manufacturing, aviation, digital technology and logistics.
According to the council’s planning statement, the site has been allocated for general employment uses, with future development expected to be guided by a comprehensive masterplan.
The authority says the scheme has the potential to help address the shortage of modern industrial accommodation in north Leeds while supporting businesses linked to Leeds Bradford Airport.
Arnell said the Employment Hub formed part of a wider programme of infrastructure-led growth across Leeds, highlighting progress on a proposed new rail station at Thorpe Park and improved mass transit connections as key enablers for future development.
“We’re looking at a number of growth corridors that could be unlocked and accelerated by mass transit,” he said. “One of the big focuses for us is how we enhance our effective city size, and public transport is a massive part of that.”
The council’s planning guidance describes the North West Leeds Employment Hub as one of the city’s key strategic employment locations, with future development expected to deliver high-quality industrial and commercial space alongside transport, landscape and biodiversity improvements. More information about the site can be read here.
Basically we want to get warehousing built on it ASAP to stop the airport expanding in future.
By Anonymous