Leeds City Council is showing ambition, thanks to six separate bids to the second round of the government’s levelling up funding.
Looking to deliver transformation across Leeds, six bids across the city’s six parliamentary constituencies would see the funding amount to £120.8 million. Parks, transport, high streets, and local economies will all be focuses of the plans, which look to build on the Morley town deal, as well as the connecting West Leeds funding.
Leader of Leeds City Council, Councillor James Lewis, said:
“We have put together six ambitious bids and they represent a real opportunity to build on the great work taking place across Leeds to regenerate our local communities, delivering 21st Century infrastructure and create meaningful jobs.
“The scale and ambition of the bids also reflect the incredible amount of work put into their development and I must extend a sincere thank you to teams from Asset Management and Regeneration, Highways and Transportation, and Parks and Countryside along with the partners and consultants.”
Leeds Central will benefit from the delivery of changes in Holbeck that will regenerate essential local infrastructure, renew the local community centre, provide high quality improvements to the public realm and green space, as well as delivering retrofit property repairs that are beneficial to the environment.
The Leeds West bid is looking to develop greenspaces across five community parks as well as enhancing active travel connections. Armley is also set to get a regenerate high street that will prioritise public transport and pedestrians, through improvements to public realm.
Fearnville Leisure Centre is to be redeveloped into a wellbeing centre, making up the focus of the bid for Leeds East. This will revitalise the facility to better serve a community that is one of the most deprived in Leeds.
Elmet and Rothwell’s bid is aiming to deliver on the River Aire, with a new visitor centre at the RSPB St Aidan’s nature reserve.
The bid for North West Leeds comes as a package of two projects that are linked, to invest in transport infrastructure so that the delivery and unlocking of the North West Leeds employment hub can be accelerated.
The final bid comes for North East Leeds. It aims to place a priority on sustainable transport through a new park and ride site, as well as the provision of segregated walking, cycling, and bus infrastructure along a key corridor. This will connect North East Leeds with the city centre in a more sustainable way, relieving the communities along the corridor.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is to evaluate all bids, with the announcement of successful bids to come in Autumn.
