Leeds fights back from recession with new plans for Lumiere site

A MULTI-MILLION redevelopment on a prime city centre site could be set to become the ultimate symbol of Leeds’ economic comeback.
New plans have been released by Roydhouse Properties for Central Square in Leeds, the former site of the proposed Lumiere project.New plans have been released by Roydhouse Properties for Central Square in Leeds, the former site of the proposed Lumiere project.
New plans have been released by Roydhouse Properties for Central Square in Leeds, the former site of the proposed Lumiere project.

Plans for the doomed Lumiere site are set to be presented to council planning bosses next week, and will propose a new office and leisure development on the land that was once earmarked for Europe’s tallest residential skyscraper.

The original Lumiere project, which would have created two futuristic 54 and 32-storey glass skyscrapers, was mothballed in 2008.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

All of the £225m development’s flats had been sold ahead of construction work starting in December 2007, but then the credit crunch hit and construction work stopped.

Developer Kevin Linfoot acknowledged it would have been “commercial suicide” to continue but said the development would go ahead, eventually, when the property market “stabilised”. Six months later, however, KW Linfoot Plc went into administration.

The site soon became an eyesore and it was finally sold by Deloitte, liquidators of KW Linfoot Plc, following protracted negotiations.

Leeds entrepreneur Steve Parkin, owner of Clipper Logistics, paid an undisclosed multi-million pound sum for the site earlier this year, which he acquired through his investment business.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The latest plans have been described as the “last significant piece of the jigsaw” in the transformation of a major part of Leeds city centre.

The new scheme in Whitehall Road and Wellington Street has been named ‘Central Square’ and include a new 225,000 sq ft project, with space for up to 2,500 office workers over 11 floors, as well as a ‘sky garden’, winter garden, restaurants, bars and also a gym.

Initial proposals for what project bosses hope will become an iconic office and leisure building will be debated by Leeds City Council’s planning chiefs next week.

Mark Barnes, from developer Marrico Asset Management, working on behalf of Roydhouse Properties Central Square, said: “Our plans are to make Central Square the best commercial building in Leeds, providing exclusive office space of the highest quality to blue chip companies who want to be in Leeds city centre.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We’re already holding positive talks with many of these companies. Our aim is to provide them with office space which fits their modern market requirements.”

He added: “Their belief in the project at this early stage is not only a vote of confidence for our plans for Central Square, but for Leeds as a business centre.”

If planning permission is granted, work could start in summer 2014, with construction completed by mid-2016.

Hopes are already high the landmark development will be approved with demand for office space in the city up by a third on last year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A report to be presented to Leeds council’s City Plans Panel says: “The site is the last significant piece of the jigsaw in the area between City Square and Northern Street.

“Whilst the previous application is no longer being pursued, some of the guiding principles which this employed have been rolled forward into this proposal.

“However, a major difference is that the site is proposed to be developed with a single building rather than the previous proposal which was for two buildings. There would be a greater degree of certainty over the development of this site under the current proposal.”

The report adds that the site benefits from existing planning permission for the Lumiere scheme, which is still intact because “a significant amount of ground works were carried out before construction ceased”.

There will be a public display about the scheme from 2pm to 7pm on Friday at Novotel Leeds City Centre, Whitehall Quay, ahead of a fuller consultation and a planning application submission.

Related topics: