301,389 sq ft of speculative space approved for city centre
Vastint UK has secured planning consent for its Leeds Aire Park district to develop speculative office and shop space alongside the largest new city centre green space in the UK, just 10 minutes’ walk from Leeds station.
This month Leeds City Council granted permission for 301,389 sq ft of commercial space at the site in the South Bank set across two buildings ranging from six to eight storeys.
The space forms part of the first phase of the development to be delivered alongside a new, city centre park of two hectares that was granted planning consent in the summer.
The new offices will be built speculatively by Vastint UK, with ground floor flexible space available for shops, gyms, restaurants and cafes.
The scheme was designed by international design practice Ryder Architecture, with the buildings framing a new, outdoor events space; a hard and soft landscaped yard bounded by the iconic Tetley building and the Grade II listed Salem Chapel and connected to the main park area of Aire Park.
Named after the River Aire, the developers says the scheme will be a “truly mixed-use district including offices, homes, shops and restaurants with acres of green space at its heart”.
The green space will be the centrepiece of the South Bank district, one of Europe’s most exciting new regeneration projects.
Andrew Cobden, MD of Vastint UK, said: “By planning and building for the long term, we seek to enliven Aire Park with a first phase of commercial buildings which will drive activity and create daily interest. At the same time, we will open a large park that we hope to be an interesting flexible space allowing for outdoor events, surrounded by shops, cafes, offices and homes. These first buildings are the start of our work in Leeds to create a thriving community within a new unique, urban district.”
The construction of the park and commercial buildings is due to begin in spring 2021 and complete in 2023.
Ronnie Graham, partner at Ryder Architecture, said: “We are delighted to receive planning consent for the first phase of development at Aire Park. The mixed-use development sits alongside and complements the historic Tetley building along with redefining the Hunslet Lane. It also forms the backdrop to an exciting, flexible outdoor space which promises to be the centrepiece of this new urban district in the heart of Leeds city centre.”
The news follows recent successes by Vastint UK for the detailed design of the park and the restoration and expansion of the former Crown Hotel which will house a pub and restaurant within the original Victorian building and new commercial space in the upper floors.
Vastint UK is a real estate organisation established in 2010. It creates large-scale mixed-use neighbourhoods that balance working, living and leisure, adding long-term value to local communities.
