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Allotments plan for Leeds land where £450m project on hold
A SHELVED £450m Leeds city centre development site could be turned into allotments for local offices.
MEPC, developer of Wellington Place, off Wellington Street, had hoped to start work on its 450milion project by July this year but is now unsure when construction will start.
So it plans to transform the site into a temporary green space until the financial climate improves.
It has applied to Leeds City Council for permission to create a temporary public square with seating and has sent hundreds of online questionnaires to city centre residents and workers, asking for suggestions on what they would like to see on the site.
Chris Davidson, development manager for Wellington Place, said: "The Wellington Place development will take a number of years to build and it is important that we start to build a strong community now, making the estate more than just a place to work.
"We want everyone to feel part of the community and benefit from the attractive environment which we all share."
Mr Davidson said possibilities being considered included allotments where local offices could grow fruit and vegetables; a grassed area for sporting facilities; and tree planting.
Dr Rachael Unsworth, a geography lecturer at the University of Leeds, suggested the idea to MEPC and is working with the developer on the project.
The co-author of Around Leeds: A City Centre Reinvented said: "It was something that occurred to me in the middle of last summer when I could see that site after site was being put on hold."
She added: "Instead of it being a miserable time with nothing happening, it's a way of animating this space in ways we know that people are keen on."
Mr Davidson said: "Every development in the country is being delayed.
"Occupiers out there are deferring decisions and if they are deferring decisions it means we can't build a building for them as quickly as we would like."
He added: "The development will happen – but nobody knows when."
He said MEPC had already started a six-month plan of improvements and temporary landscaping was expected to start soon.
At the end of last year the firm received planning permission for phase three of the project for a building containing office and retail space.
When complete Wellington Place is expected to combine up to 2.6 million sq ft of commercial, retail, leisure and residential space.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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