Aire Park: 'Largest segment' of Leeds' huge new city centre park opens as 'unparalleled gift to future generations'
A large section of a “once in a generation” new park in Leeds city centre has opened to the public as work continues on the wider mixed-use development.
Aire Park, Leeds’ 24-acre mixed use development, has now opened the next phase of its much-anticipated park that will bring 6200 square metres of new green space to the South Bank.
Connecting the public realm in front of the Tetley building to Crown Point Road, this new park area marks the largest segment of the park to open so far, as the city prepares for what will be the biggest new public park in the UK upon completion.
The park features a multi-purpose area for playing, exercising and relaxing, which has sustainability and ecological enhancement at its heart. Large open lawns across the park give way to flowering gardens and there are also play mounds, a new woodland belt, woodland understorey and bird boxes.
A total of 73 new trees have been planted in this phase, including many legacy trees and a cherry tree avenue that will blossom in the spring.
The second phase of the Aire Park masterplan is also continuing, which will see the park area extend to the south of Crown Point Road, adding the final hectare to the park and creating a linkway, currently called the Flowering Avenue.
On completion, the new development will bring over 700 new trees and 100 different types of plants to Aire Park. The legacy trees, as well as interventions such as bug hotels, bird boxes, and pollinating gardens, are designed to enable new biodiversity corridors for pollinating insects and wildlife to strengthen the city’s ecosystems.
The finished park will also feature a multi-functional year-round events space to be used for outdoor markets, performances and pop-up cinema experiences, as well as a children’s play area and 1km exercise route.
On the opening of the new park area, Vastint UK’s managing director, Stephen Lindley said: “Bringing this beautiful new green space to the South Bank for the public to enjoy is a real milestone in the creation of Aire Park.
“Having recently topped out our latest in a series of commercial buildings and having welcomed our first commercial tenants, Aire Park is truly taking shape and placing itself firmly on the map of Leeds.
“As the wider development and the park continues to grow, with the addition of its event space and play area, so too will its sense of community as Aire Park becomes a go-to destination within the city to work, meet and socialise, or simply relax and enjoy nature.”
Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said: “The opening of this new green space is a really important milestone for both the Aire Park project and the South Bank area as a whole.
“We want Leeds to be a city filled with places that are perfect for work, rest and play, and Aire Park’s lawns and gardens will give people plenty of opportunity for doing all of that and more.
“It’s also great to see the progress being made on the wider development, with a thriving, modern community now truly taking shape at Aire Park and ushering in a bright new era for one of our former industrial heartlands.”
The design and creation of the park has seen collaboration between landscaping experts including Planit Leeds, Moortown and Palmers.
Phillip Porter, Principal Landscape Architect from Planit Leeds, adds: “Aire Park is a unique project in the UK. One that provides a once in a generation opportunity to reshape a vast disused industrial part of a city and leave an unparalleled gift to current and future generations.”
On completion, the Aire Park development as a whole will span 24 acres of the city’s South Bank, delivering an expansive eight-acre public park, over 1 million sq ft of commercial space and over 1,350 high-quality homes with easy access to Leeds city centre and convenient transport routes.
To find out more about the Aire Park development visit the official website.