Plans to create conservation area to protect heritage of Mabgate

Mabgate, is a small and diverse neighbourhood which was historically an industrial powerhouse. The area was once filled with factories, industrial sites and worker’s houses.

Local landmarks include Mabgate Mills, St Patrick’s Church and Hope Foundry, a Grade II-listed former brass and iron works.

In more recent years, as Leeds city centre has expanded outwards, more modern apartment buildings have been built which has led to concerns about gentrification making the area unaffordable for its current residents.

In response to such concerns, and in a bid to protect and enhance the heritage of the area, Leeds City Council is working with partners such as Leeds Civic Trust to create the conservation area,

Covering just over 10 hectares, the conservation area would be bounded to the west by Regent Street, to the north by Mushroom Street, to the east by Macaulay Street and to the south by New York Road.

Designating an architecturally or historically significant place as a conservation area hands councils extra controls over planning matters such as demolition and development.

Mabgate’s position on the edge of the city centre means it offers major potential for new growth and, with that in mind, Leeds City Council is keen to take steps to protect important aspects of local heritage as development proposals come forward.

A public consultation has now been launched on the conservation area plans, with information leaflets due to go out shortly to residents, businesses and other occupiers in Mabgate.

The plans have been drawn up by the council in collaboration with Leeds Civic Trust, which has provided funding for the project, and expert heritage architects Purcell.

The new proposals also tie in with the emerging East Street Arts-led neighbourhood plan for Mabgate, Lincoln Green and Burmantofts, which is designed to help chart a course for future development in those three areas.

Director of Leeds Civic Trust, Martin Hamilton, said: “When Leeds Civic Trust first suggested that we could help Leeds City Council to develop the city’s network of conservation areas by providing our own funding and expertise, we agreed that the Mabgate area of Leeds should be the first port of call.

“There is a new dynamism in the area with new buildings proposed and new occupiers coming forward.

“We hope that the designation of a conservation area will enable these exciting changes to take place in a way that respects what is already there.”

Leeds City Council’s executive member for infrastructure and climate, Councillor Helen Hayden, said: “Mabgate is a place with a fascinating story to tell, from its industrial past to its more recent reinvention as an endlessly-creative hub for arts and cultural activity.

“We want to make sure the inclusive and compassionate growth we are seeing – not just in Mabgate but across the city as a whole – takes proper account of Leeds’s shared heritage and historic values.

“I would encourage everyone to get involved with the public consultation and help shape the future of this much-loved community.”

The Mabgate proposals can be viewed online here or found by visiting www.leeds.gov.uk and typing ‘conservation area’ into the search box.

Feedback can be sent by e-mail to [email protected] or posted to Conservation Team, Leeds City Council, Merrion House, Leeds LS2 8BB.

The consultation runs until Friday, April 22.

Leeds currently has a total of 80 conservation areas, with the first – in Boston Spa – being designated in 1969, and the most recent – covering the city centre’s Grand Quarter – coming into force in 2017.

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