Leeds City Square: New CGI images offer first look at design for pedestrianised city centre 'gateway' called The Glade

City Square is now shut to general traffic while work is taking place to create the “much-improved space for pedestrians and cyclists” that will help to improve journey times for public transport in the city centre, according to the council. Cars and general traffic will be permanently diverted away from City Square when the work is finished. The council said the move would help improve air quality in the city centre, after nearby Neville Street was previously found to be one of the most polluted streets outside of London in shocking research.

As revealed by the Yorkshire Evening Post, the local authority issued 13,455 warnings to motorists caught on cameras driving through the now-restricted ‘bus gate’ stretch of City Square across from Leeds City Station in October, according to a Freedom of Information request.

Alongside ongoing upgrade work at the train station, council bosses say the new City Square will offer offer “a much-improved gateway to the city centre”, as well as “a safer environment for people entering and exiting the station”. Three new artist impression images were today issued by the council, offering a glimpse into how the new “gateway” at City Square could look once the work is finished.

Coun Helen Hayden, the council’s executive member for infrastructure and climate, said: “Removing general traffic from City Square to create a more pleasant environment has been a long time in the making, and follows careful consultation and years of planning.

“The combined effect of this scheme and the ongoing works at the station will help deliver a pedestrian-priority environment that welcomes people into our city, is much safer and cleaner, makes it easier to cycle from one end of the city to another, and also encourages more use of public transport because we are helping to improve bus journey times.

“We appreciate the works will lead to some short-term disruption and we recognise that it takes time to adjust to such a major change. We thank businesses, residents and bus operators for their patience, and we look forward to the long-term benefits once the scheme is completed.”

The council said the main part of the City Square roadworks, excluding the area next to the Queens Hotel, will be finished ahead of Leeds 2023’s take over of the square as a central part of the city’s Year of Culture, including a public artwork and a number of events. The local authority said an initial concept design called ‘The Glade’ had been developed for the area and that it was now looking at “funding opportunities”, before considering next steps. Early designs of ‘The Glade’ were first released by the council in June, 2021 after Leeds-based company Re-form Landscape Architecture was announced as the team behind the project.

Meanwhile, transport chiefs are urging people to plan journeys ahead and allow extra time with the current roadworks in place and “consider alternative methods of transport”.