The Core Leeds shopping centre to be demolished as plans drawn up for 'vibrant' new development

The Core in Leeds city centre is currently home to seven retailers and seven food outlets as well as a gym and yoga studio. It underwent a major renovation in the late 2000s, having previously been known as the Headrow Shopping Centre. Now award-winning architecture firm Costorphine & Wright has been brought in to help design a major redevelopment that will see the existing building being totally demolished.

Councillors on the City Plans Panel will hear next week about outline proposals for the site off The Headrow to be used for a mixed-purpose scheme featuring retail units at ground-floor level and student accommodation above. A report by the council’s planning officials says: “The developer’s vision is to deliver a high quality, design-led proposal with a vibrant retail and commercial offer at ground floor level, new streets and spaces, reinstating lost connectivity and successfully integrating the buildings within the heart of the historic city shopping core.”

It says the applicants – Tri-7, a real estate investment and asset management firm, and Fusion Students, an operator and developer of purpose-built student accommodation – plan to carry out a “comprehensive consultation and engagement exercise” after councillors have shared their initial thoughts on the idea. They expect to be in a position to submit a full planning application this autumn.

First built in the late 1980s, the shopping centre stands on the site of the former Schofields department store. The report notes that it has been significantly impacted by changing retail trends and shopping habits as well as the construction of the nearby Trinity Leeds and Victoria Gate shopping centres.

The report says: “Previous attempts to rejuvenate the centre include major reconfigurations and refurbishments in 2009 and 2014 and subsequent interventions to improve access, maximise lettable space and diversify the focus of the centre away from pure retail as evidenced by the introduction of The Gym Group and the Hot Room Yoga Studio. Despite these efforts, the centre remains significantly underused with only around a third of the building occupied. Many key stores are vacant, significant sections are totally vacant and a number of other occupiers have confirmed their intention to vacate the building when their leases end.”

The proposed scheme would feature three buildings, with a total of 809 student bed spaces. It would also reinstate an historic east to west connection through the site and create two new streets linking Lands Lane with King Charles Street. Under the outline proposals, the buildings would reach nine, eight and seven storeys respectively.

In their conclusion, the report’s author says: “The emerging proposals represent an exciting opportunity to reimagine a key site at the heart of the city’s prime shopping area. The redevelopment of an underused, inward looking and dated shopping centre to provide high quality design-led modern buildings will enhance the area bringing new life and vibrancy. Generous new streets and spaces will provide east west connectivity through the site along with new commercial opportunities in a vibrant proposition to reinvigorate and reimagine this central part of the historic city core.”

Councillors will meet at Civic Hall from 1.30pm on Thursday May 13 to discuss the proposals.