500 jobs could be created as plans for Aire Valley development put forward
Plans have been put forward for a 265,000 sq ft mixed-employment development within the Aire Valley area of Leeds which could create around 500 new jobs.
Keyland Developments, the property trading arm of Kelda Group and sister-company to Yorkshire Water, has submitted an outline planning application to Leeds City Council to bring back into use a vacant 16 acre site.
The site is located off Pontefract Lane, the A63 trunk road, between the existing Cross Green Industrial Estate and the Leeds City Region (Aire Valley) Enterprise Zone which is delivering a host of new developments.
With an allocation already in place for employment use within the Leeds Unitary Development Plan, the site’s location within the Draft Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan gives it a strategic importance within the wider vision for the area.
Keyland says it is looking to create a new employment hub, to be accessed directly off the A63 East Leeds Link Road Thornes Farm Roundabout.
The masterplan outlines 265,000 sq ft of B1, B2 and B8 industrial and commercial space with eight units ranging in size from 20,000 sq ft up to 60,000 sq ft to reflect market demand.
Peter Garrett, managing director of Keyland Developments, said: “Our proposals to regenerate this site, which is situated in one of the most strategically important locations in the Leeds City Region, reflect our continued commitment to bringing back into use underutilised land across Yorkshire to create development and employment opportunities. There is a responsibility with vacant sites such as this to maximise their potential and deliver sustainable development to contribute to the long-term economic prosperity of the region. The ongoing development underway in the surrounding area, along with the location within close proximity to the motorway network, indicates that a well-considered commercial and industrial scheme of this nature will prove very attractive to occupiers.”
Rupert Visick, from industrial property specialists Gent Visick, added: “We are delighted to be advising Keyland Developments in respect of this fantastic development site, it’s always exciting to be involved in a scheme with such prominence and potential. The significant frontage to the A63, combined with direct access onto this major arterial road will be a key aspect in its popularity. We are expecting strong interest from both the occupational and development sectors as we progress through the planning process.”
Keyland’s design team includes Enjoy Design for masterplanning and design, Lichfields as planning consultants, Wardell Armstrong as environmental consultants, WSP for Transportation & Highways, and Brooks Ecologica
