Eastside: Have your say on Leeds city centre development proposals

Two years ago Leeds Civic Trust launched the Liveable City Competition, asking how the eastern part of Leeds city centre could be re-imagined.

The large area of land which many call ‘Eastside’ includes Quarry Hill, East Street and Marsh Lane is home to thousands of people. It includes some of the city’s key employers, cultural institutions and educational organisations, such as Leeds Minster, the Playhouse and Leeds City College.

But Leeds Civic Trust believe that Eastside is currently held back by a major road network that makes travelling by foot or bike difficult. It lacks the greenspaces and public realm that its residents need. Natural features such as the Lady Beck are largely covered over, and a piecemeal approach to development has largely failed to create a coherent sense of place.

The competition entries (which can be viewed on 2020 Entries - Liveable Leeds - liveable-leeds.org.uk - website) converged around a series of key themes.

These included daylighting the Lady Beck; improving the walking and cycling network; increasing the number of trees in the area; providing greenspaces which could improve the setting of our cultural institutions; and removing roads to create a cohesive network of public spaces.

The next stage of the process is to consider how we take these ideas forward in the months and years to come. The Trust has prepared a document called a Draft Supplementary Planning Document, which sets out a number of interventions drawing on the competition winners, and views from stakeholders and others, which could transform the area.

The Trust now wants to hear what local people think - do you agree with their proposals? Is there anything the Trust may have overlooked?

You can add in your comments to the Trust’s new interactive map, created with Create Streets: CLICK HERE .

Leeds Civic Trust are also keen to consider how a partnership approach bringing together landowners, occupiers, residents and Leeds City Council could act as a catalyst to drive forward positive change in the area.

If you’d like to hear more about the proposals, send the Trust an email at: [email protected] and we can arrange a discussion over Zoom.

Leeds Civic Trust director, Martin Hamilton, said: “This area of the city is ripe for improvement, but we want to hear your views. What do you think about our ideas to turn an area currently dominated by roads into one that is people-centred. Fill in the map to let us know.”

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