Timelapse video: £60m Leeds Quarry Hill campus moves into final phase

The campus is being built to house two schools for Leeds City College and wil be home to up to 3,000 students from summer 2019.

The second of two 40 metre high, 50m radius tower cranes, which have dominated the skyline above the site during construction, has now been removed signalling the completion of exterior building works.

Focus will now shift to fitting-out and completion of the campus interior, access works and landscaping.

The new Quarry Hill campus will be the new home for the School of Social Science and School of Creative Arts and will house state-of-the-art facilities, including a 200-seat theatre, as well as photography and recording studios, science labs, outdoor working spaces and a complimentary therapy room.

Around 3,000 students will be based at the campus, with up to 2,000 there at any one time.

The crane was one of two which operated on the site from September 2017, becoming a familiar sight on the Leeds skyline, each with the capacity to lift 80 tonnes of material.

The campus is part of a wider regeneration of the area, which includes £300m of investment in creative, cultural, academic, residential and commercial premises.

Michael Diaz, director of Capital Projects for Leeds City College, said: “With the removal of the two cranes from site, we’re now working flat out with our contractor and subcontractors to complete the last elements of the project and are fitting out the building ready for the 2019/20 Academic year. The college has a vision to create inspiring spaces for its students, and this is our most prestigious campus to date, which will play a crucial role in meeting the skills needs of the region and the surrounding areas. The Regional Growth Deal has been crucial in allowing us to progress our plans and help develop new, sector-leading facilities.

“Being in the heart of Leeds’ cultural quarter, and an area that has such an important history in social housing, has played a key role in how we’ve developed our plans. The fact that we’ll be able to offer students in the creative industries and social sciences an inspiring place to learn, is a fantastic nod to both the past and the future.”

Paul Dodsworth, managing sirector of Wates Construction North, added: “The crane removal at Leeds City College brings to fruition a comprehensive build programme in what is a particularly tight site footprint. The project team at the new Quarry Hill Campus continue to do an excellent job on this exceptional development and we look forward to the next phase of our work with the college as we near project completion next year.”