Bridging the gap between Leeds communities

A new footbridge will link two sections of a pioneering housing development in the heart of Leeds.
LINKS: An artists impression of how the new bridge will look in Leeds city centre.LINKS: An artists impression of how the new bridge will look in Leeds city centre.
LINKS: An artists impression of how the new bridge will look in Leeds city centre.

Citu – the firm behind a £125m project to create 515 eco-friendly homes, offices, leisure facilities and a pioneering home-building factory at the South Bank – is pressing ahead with plans for a footbridge across its sites.

The 50-metre-long pedestrian and cycle-friendly bridge will cross the River Aire linking two parts of the Citu site but also opens up links to Cross Green and Hunslet.

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The bridge, which is expected to be opened in summer this year to coincide with the first residents moving in, will halve the time it takes to get from these areas to the city centre on foot.

Jonathan Wilson, development director at Citu told City Buzz: “The bridge will act as a catalyst for social and economic change at Hunslet Riverside and the wider South Bank.

“It will provide a crucial physical link across the river, better connecting the area to the city centre for pedestrians and cyclists; playing a key role in our ambition to create a car-free district in the heart of the city-centre.”

Citu is asking the public to name the bridge, tweeting ideas to @CituUK.

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A winner will be chosen in May and invited to open the bridge later this year. A commemorative plaque with their name on it will be fitted to the completed structure.

Mr Wilson added: “We’ve put a lot of thought into names for the streets and spaces within the district, from the two modern apartment blocks known as ‘The Hive’ and ‘The Honeycomb’, to the tranquil ‘Wind in the Willows’ area of family homes and riverside public realm.

“We’re looking forward to some suitably imaginative suggestions for the bridge.”