Comment

12.11.18

A force to be reckoned with

Source: PSE Oct/Nov 2018

The South Bank plan, which refers to a number of investments and proposed activities across a massive plot of land south of the River Aire, is one of Europe’s largest city-centre regeneration initiatives. Cllr Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, looks ahead at what’s in store.

Leeds is a city with enormous ambition and potential, and we have both the vision and determination to fulfil that promise as we continue to grow as a Northern Powerhouse force to be reckoned with.

We’re not just ambitious for the city, but also for our people, our businesses and visitors. Everything we aspire to is firmly underpinned by an unshakeable commitment to inclusive growth. For a city to fully flourish, it needs not only the key economic indicators like business growth and the right infrastructure; its people and places need to be sharing its success.

South Bank Leeds is a great example of how we’ve applied that approach to one of the most significant developments the city has seen in recent decades. The breadth and scale of our ambition is such that it will effectively double the size of our thriving, vibrant city centre.

We are harnessing the potential of the advent of HS2 into Leeds to further drive the development of the underused former industrial area south of our classic rail station. Its regeneration has long been a key city priority, first outlined in the South Bank Planning Statement back in 2011. Seven years on and that vision has matured considerably.

City-wide collaboration has evolved into a co-produced, shared vision that became the draft South Bank Leeds Framework Plan. This was created to provide clear guidance for the future development of the South Bank and to establish principles to drive the area’s growth. In July 2018 this was adopted into a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) providing detailed proposals for regeneration in the 253-hectare area and showcasing the city’s ambition.

The South Bank’s regeneration will double not only the size of Leeds city centre but also its economic impact. It will establish a distinctive mixed-use district creating over 35,000 jobs and more than 8,000 homes. As one of the largest city-centre regeneration initiatives in Europe, it will power the growth of Leeds and its neighbouring areas for the coming decades, cementing the city’s role as the UK’s fastest-growing city and a leading driver of the region’s and nation’s economy.

Leeds City Council has been working with stakeholders across the South Bank to inspire and enable inclusive growth, high-quality placemaking, and the delivery of homes and jobs. Our partners are a diverse group who are invested in the success of Leeds. They include major landowners looking to bring development forward, potential investors, educational partners like Leeds College of Building and the University Technical College, along with key occupiers such as Duke Studios in Sheaf Street, tenants at the Round Foundry, Marshall Mill and the Tower Works estate, and many independent operators.

From the drawing board to reality

We’re now stepping up the gears from planning and scoping to delivering those transformational projects. Over the next two years, delivery and implementation will begin gaining pace for a wide range of infrastructure projects in the area, building on recent successes such as the Flood Alleviation Scheme, Leeds station’s southern entrance, and the emergence of a new educational district in the area.

One of the landmark big ideas of the SPD is now moving towards becoming reality: the longstanding ambition to breathe fresh air into the heart of Leeds with a new green city-centre park. This was also revealed as the public’s number-one priority in the 2016 consultation. It will be located at the former Tetley Brewery site, where a developer plans to bring new homes, businesses and significant green space together on the sprawling prime location. They are proposing a mixed-use development including 850 residential units and a wide range of office and commercial use – all surrounded by 3.5 hectares of public parkland.

This sits alongside the city’s up-and-coming waterfront, which is integral to our South Bank plans and has in recent years developed as an increasingly popular residential, business and leisure location. Leeds City Council has recently approved the Waterfront Enhancement Fund of up to £100,000, offering grants for activities to further enhance the area by making it more accessible and attractive.

We are aiming to further accelerate growth in the city centre and surrounding corridors, including the South Bank, through bidding under the government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund. This would enable the council to deliver imaginative highways and public realm improvements and enhance connectivity to unlock the potential of existing city-centre housing and investments.

In the past year construction has started on site at a number of schemes, including Citu’s Climate Innovation District, Legal & General’s Mustard Wharf, and Dandara Living’s Leodis Square scheme, which will together provide more than 1,500 new homes within the area. Recent planning application approvals will bring a further 928 residential units and £210m in investment.

Never complacent

Leeds’s economy is performing well, with above-national-average private sector jobs since 2010 and one of the highest rates of business start-ups and scale-ups of UK cities. We are a smart city with a high proportion of knowledge-intensive jobs and an increasingly strong digital sector. The University of Leeds spins out more listed companies than any other UK university, and the city experiences a “brain gain” with more undergraduates and graduates moving into the city than leaving.

Leeds is also a top-five UK retail and tourism destination and has an impressive cultural arts and sporting offer, along with a strong track record of hosting major events such as the Tour de France Grand Départ.

And we’re not standing still – we continue to grow and develop and build on these sound foundations and opportunities such as HS2.

We see beyond getting a faster service with greater capacity from Leeds to London via Birmingham. Our HS2 Growth Strategy explains how we will work with our partners to unleash its transformative potential of up to £54bn growth and 300,000 jobs for the region’s economy. Improving and expanding Leeds station is imperative to ensure HS2 is integrated seamlessly with other rail services to create new rail capacity to support local growth and to provide a high-quality gateway to, and catalyst for, regeneration in the city.

Our focus now is on sustained intense activity to get the right infrastructure in place and ensure that Leeds, our people, and everyone who does business with us is HS2-ready to capitalise on this once-in-a-generation opportunity.

 

Enjoying PSE? Subscribe here to receive our weekly news updates or click here to receive a copy of the magazine!

Comments

There are no comments. Why not be the first?

Add your comment

related

public sector executive tv

more videos >

latest public sector news

Leeds’ Clean Air Zone Plans Suspended for the foreseeable future

19/08/2020Leeds’ Clean Air Zone Plans Suspended for the foreseeable future

Leeds City Council have today (August 19) announced that their plans for a Clean Air Zone within the city may not have to go ahead due to lower e... more >
Colleges set to receive £200m in Funding

19/08/2020Colleges set to receive £200m in Funding

Over 180 colleges are set to receive a share of £200m, in order to repair and refurbish buildings and campuses. The funding makes up p... more >
UK climate change projects to receive £14m funding

18/08/2020UK climate change projects to receive £14m funding

The National Lottery Community Fund has announced the first 14 grants from the Climate Action Fund going to communities across the UK to tackle c... more >

the raven's daily blog

Cleaner, greener, safer media: Increased ROI, decreased carbon

23/06/2020Cleaner, greener, safer media: Increased ROI, decreased carbon

Evolution is crucial in any business and Public Sector Executive is no different. Long before Covid-19 even became a thought in the back of our minds, the team at PSE were looking at innovative ways to deliver its content to our audience in a more dynamic and responsive manner. We’re conscious to take the time to both prot... more >
read more blog posts from 'the raven' >

interviews

Artificial intelligence: the devil is in the data

17/12/2018Artificial intelligence: the devil is in the data

It’s no secret that the public sector and its service providers need to invest in technology to help make better use of their resources. Bu... more >
Digital innovation in the public sector: The future is now

17/12/2018Digital innovation in the public sector: The future is now

One of the public sector’s key technology partners has recently welcomed a new member to its team. Matt Spencer, O2’s head of public ... more >
New Dorset Councils CEO on the creation of a new unitary: ‘This is going to be the right decision for Dorset’

05/11/2018New Dorset Councils CEO on the creation of a new unitary: ‘This is going to be the right decision for Dorset’

The new chief executive of one of the new unitary authorities in Dorset has outlined his approach to culture and work with employees, arguing tha... more >
Keeping the momentum of the Northern Powerhouse

15/10/2018Keeping the momentum of the Northern Powerhouse

On 6 September, the biggest decision-makers of the north joined forces to celebrate and debate how to drive innovation and improvement through th... more >

last word

Prevention: Investing for the future

Prevention: Investing for the future

Rob Whiteman, CEO at the Chartered Institute of Public Finance (CIPFA), discusses the benefits of long-term preventative investment. Rising demand, reducing resource – this has been th... more > more last word articles >

editor's comment

25/10/2017Take a moment to celebrate

Devolution, restructuring and widespread service reform: from a journalist’s perspective, it’s never been a more exciting time to report on the public sector. That’s why I could not be more thrilled to be taking over the reins at PSE at this key juncture. There could not be a feature that more perfectly encapsulates this... read more >

public sector focus

LGA: ‘Air pollution is a major public health issue’

17/08/2020LGA: ‘Air pollution is a major public health issue’

The Local Government Association (LGA) has ca... more >
Automating back-office processes for local authorities

29/07/2020Automating back-office processes for local authorities

Words provided by Cantium Business Solutions,... more >