Kirkstall Forge: Former Leeds MP leads calls for new Park and Ride service to be built at £400m office site

Calls are being made to consider bringing a Park and Ride service to Kirkstall Forge, in a move campaigners say would “significantly” cut congestion on one of the city's main commuter routes.

Number One Kirkstall Forge, was designed to welcome around 300,000 sq ft of offices, 100,000 sq ft of retail and 1,500 new home – and came at an investment of £400m.

Former Leeds MP, Michael Meadowcroft, is leading the calls and in a letter sent to the Yorkshire Evening Post detailed how he has been campaigning for the investment since building works began.

He said: “There is a real opportunity being missed at this site. With a potential eight minute train journey to and from Leeds it is ideal for a Park-and-Ride service. The question is whether there is enough land left at this huge site for public parking or has it all been grasped by those wishing to maximise profit?

“The commuter road journey into and out of Leeds through Kirkstall is horrendous and a Park and Ride service based on Kirkstall Forge could remove a significant amount of car traffic from this road. It is urgently needed. Action please.”

The site multi-million pound site currently features a dedicated train stop after Kirkstall Forge station opened in 2016 at a cost of £16 million. In June, Network Rail and Northern submitted a planning application to extend both platforms by 48 metres to allow the station to cater to larger six-car trains.

Last week, American firm Buildings IOT and Leeds company CPA Consulting Careers, were both confirmed to be moving into vacant units at the site.

A West Yorkshire Combined Authority spokesperson said: “We have an ambition to create a better-connected region with modern public transport links for all parts of West Yorkshire, including Kirkstall. Significant improvements have been made to the connectivity of Kirkstall in recent years, including the construction of Kirkstall Forge rail station, as well as improvements to the A65 corridor.

“We are in the process of reviewing our Park and Ride strategy, which we hope to consult on in 2024.”

Leeds Park and Ride services currently operate from Elland Road, Temple Green and Stourton.