Southern entrance plans for Leeds station approved
PLANS for the southern entrance project at Leeds station have received final approval.
A total of £16m has been allocated to the project and The Department for Transport said it will provide a maximum of £12.4m towards it.
Local Transport Minister Baroness Susan Kramer has approved the proposals, which include a new pedestrian entrance and access to the southern side of the station to and from the existing platform footbridge.
Baroness Kramer said: “This scheme will help the Leeds city centre’s economy continue to grow by improving access for the many people who work to the south of the station.
“The £12.4m we are putting into this project shows that the coalition government is serious about investing in the infrastructure the country needs to drive economic growth both locally and nationally.”
The scheme, devised by Metro and Network Rail, will support the redevelopment and regeneration in the southern quarter of the city centre where a large proportion of the new jobs forecast for Leeds city centre are to be located.
The project consists of an enclosed structure over the River Aire that incorporates lifts, escalators and stairs allowing passengers access from the current western footbridge within the station to ground level either side of the river. The proposals also include CCTV, lighting, help points, ticket machines, passenger information screens, ticket barriers, cycle parking and measures to improve pedestrian access in the immediate surrounding area.
The Leeds Station Southern Entrance scheme was one of the projects given funding approval in 2011 as part of the Spending Review process. Work can now start on it.
The £17.3m scheme has also received funding from West Yorkshire’s Local Transport Plan and Leeds City Council.
“This is excellent news for the thousands of passengers who live or work south of the river,” said Metro chairman, coun James Lewis.
“The new pedestrian entrance will open up new travel opportunities and provide a further stimulus to redevelopment and expansion of the city centre. The Secretary of State’s positive decision means we can push those plans forward, with the aim of starting construction towards the end of 2013 and being open for business in early 2015.”
Phil Verster, route managing director for Network Rail, added: “As a gateway to one of the biggest and most economically important cities outside London, Leeds station must reflect and enhance the city it serves. We expect passenger numbers using the station to rise by 16% by 2014 and by 62% by 2029.
“With over 100,000 people already using the station each day, meeting that growth in demand will be a significant but very welcome challenge. We are working with Metro and Leeds City Council to identify opportunities to develop Leeds station into an even better asset for the city. The proposed southern entrance is a crucial part of those plans.”
Leeds Station Southern Entrance (LSSE) is an enclosed extension over the River Aire directly south of the station. Lifts, escalators and stairs will take passengers arriving at the new pedestrian entrance from areas south of the city such as Holbeck Urban Village to a widened footbridge, which will have customer information screens, ticket vending machines, CCTV, cycle storage facilities and a new ticket gate line above platforms 16 and 17.
To complement the scheme, the area around Little Neville Street will also be pedestrianised and landscaped and Network Rail has submitted an application for improvements to the area around Dark Neville Street.
