Leeds City Council has announced that its senior councillors are going to engage in discussions surrounding its new partnership with national, regional, and local government, as it looks to drive regeneration and growth.
Bringing together the council, central government, Homes England and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the ten-year Leeds Transformational Regeneration Partnership will outline how the city centre, as well as five adjoining neighbourhoods can be regenerated, driving growth, and delivering on the council’s Inclusive Growth Strategy. The main features of this partnership include:
- Revitalising six areas, unlocking 20,000 new homes (Mabgate, Eastside and Hunslet Riverside, South Bank, Holbeck, West End Riverside, and the Innovation Arc in the city centre).
- A further £10 million of government investment towards the establishment of a new Temple Works site for the British Library. This will also see the building brought under public ownership thanks to Homes England.
- £5 million of funding for the delivery of a new National Poetry Centre
- Supporting the development of the Royal Armouries Museum, which includes the delivery of new conference and exhibition facilities.
Councillor James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council, said:
“This partnership is a significant opportunity for Leeds to build on its nationally recognised track record of delivering large-scale infrastructure projects which support regeneration and build economic growth.
“Working directly with government and driven by our Vision for Leeds and our commitment to inclusive growth, the partnership will act as a positive driver to tackle poverty and inequality, accelerate housing delivery, and provide more opportunities for everyone who calls Leeds home.
“Looking to the future there is shared recognition among the partners that major improvements can be won through a focus on some of the fundamental structural challenges facing the city. These changes include improving growth, creating choice and affordability in the housing market, improving public transport connectivity and integration, and leveraging our core economic, innovation and cultural assets. These are the challenges the partnership hopes to address throughout the programme.
“The creation of the partnership recognises the unique opportunities Leeds has to offer and will bring major benefits and growth to the wider region and the country as a whole. We look forward to sharing the benefits of this programme and its economic, social, and cultural legacy for many years to come.”
The partnership will be discussed alongside the Vision for Leeds at a meeting of the council’s executive board tomorrow (Wednesday 13th March), with this bringing more details on what the aims are for the partnership over the course of the next decade.
Chief Executive of the British Library Sir Roly Keating added:
"We are thrilled to see this fresh support from Government for the British Library’s vision of creating a new, permanent public space at Temple Works. With the commitment to move the building into public ownership, backed by £10 million of additional funding, we are one crucial step further to being able, with our partners, to bring this much-loved Grade I listed building back to life for everyone to enjoy as part of the wider regeneration of Holbeck and the South Bank area of Leeds."
Image credit: iStock
