Innovation Arc Leeds: How Leeds people can have their say on city district the size of 185 football pitches

Situated on the western side of the city centre, the so-called Innovation Arc is home to many renowned and long-established educational, health and cultural institutions as well as a variety of start-ups, scale-ups and major businesses.

Leeds City Council is working on a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) that will help to provide a 20-year vision for the further development of this district with the intention of delivering jobs and opportunities for all. Once completed, the document will guide future planning applications, underpin the delivery of improved infrastructure and support relevant funding bids.

A first round of public consultation took place late last year, with the responses received being used to fine-tune the document’s draft contents. Now a second consultation is getting under way, giving local residents and others another chance to have their say on the vision for the area.

Coun Helen Hayden, executive member for sustainable development and infrastructure, said: “Our city has a well-deserved reputation for pioneering and progressive thinking, and that in no small part is down to the kind of expertise we see concentrated in the Innovation Arc. We’re determined to do everything we can to ensure that this dynamic area keeps developing, keeps creating economic opportunities and keeps attracting investment that benefits everyone in Leeds. The Supplementary Planning Document will have an important role to play in helping us achieve our aims, and I would encourage all interested parties to get involved and share their thoughts.”

Which parts of the city centre are inside the Innovation Arc?

Bordered by Woodhouse, Hyde Park, Burley and New Wortley, the area already has the region’s highest concentration of employment. Crucially, it also offers huge potential for further sustainable investment in buildings, public spaces and connectivity.

The University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Arts University and Leeds Teaching Hospitals are among the prestigious institutions operating in the Innovation Arc. Some of the region’s largest public and private sector employers and mainstays of civic and cultural life are also based there. These include Leeds Town Hall, Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds City Museum and Leeds Central Library.

What does the Innovation Arc vision include so far?

Key elements of the vision currently include:

- Unlocking a further one million square feet of innovation space to provide new research facilities and hubs for start-ups, co-working and other business activity;

- Delivering enhanced public transport routes together with new walking and cycling links that lessen the socially-restrictive impact of physical barriers such as the Inner Ring Road;

- Ensuring that these travel improvements include accessible and welcoming connections to surrounding neighbourhoods such as Little London, Woodhouse, Hyde Park, Burley and New Wortley;

- Creating two new city centre parks and other pockets of green space;

- Supporting major mixed-use regeneration opportunities, including new cultural spaces and the development of affordable housing.

How to have your say during the consultation

Members of the public can read the full version of the draft SPD and a summary version of each chapter by visiting the Inclusive Growth Leeds website.

The second round of consultation runs until Wednesday July 26. Feedback can be given by completing an online survey, emailing [email protected] or writing to Innovation Arc SPD Consultation, Policy & Plan Group, Merrion House, 9th Floor East, 110 Merrion Way, Leeds, LS2 8BB.