Multi-million pound development on Leeds South Bank gets go-ahead

Plans for a £13m scheme on the South Bank area of Leeds have been given the green light with work set to start imminently.

The 5,200sq m, four-storey building will offer a range of classrooms, workshops and an atrium at Leeds College of Building.

It has been designed by Leeds based Fuse Studios and will sit in a prominent position alongside the college’s existing South Bank campus, between Cudbear Street and Black Bull Street.

Construction work is set to start in September on phase two of the Hunslet campus and is expected to complete in October 2018.

The development is being supported by an £11.9m grant through the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth Deal.

Once complete, the two South Bank campuses will serve a large proportion of Leeds College of Building’s 7,000 students, with the remainder attending the college’s other campus on North Street.

As part of the LEP funding, £1m will be spent to refurbish the North Street site.

Ian Billyard, principal at Leeds College of Building, which is the UK’s only specialist further education construction college, said: “Securing planning permission for this new building is fantastic for everyone involved with Leeds College of Building and our students.  It will enable us to continue enhancing and improving the exceptional standards of training that we are renowned for and ensure that we remain ahead of an ever evolving and fast-paced industry.

“Our existing South Bank campus has been a major success story since it opened two years ago and has become a key landmark on the South Bank, at a time when other education providers are expanding into the area.  This latest development will build on this success and offer an exceptional and highly sustainable learning environment for our students.”

Roger Marsh, chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: “Increasing the number of local apprentices trained in construction is key to building a brighter future for everyone in the Leeds City Region.

“The new Leeds College of Building centre, in Hunslet Road, will lay the foundations for students all over the region to start their careers in the construction industry, helping us to address the skills gap in the sector and boosting our economic growth now and in the years to come.”

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