New owners reveal plans for £15m retail park and 140 jobs

Plans for a new £15m retail development which could create up to 140 jobs on a disused brownfield site have been revealed.
A new Lidl and B&M Homestore are at the heart of plans for the former Benyon Centre site in Middleton, LeedsA new Lidl and B&M Homestore are at the heart of plans for the former Benyon Centre site in Middleton, Leeds
A new Lidl and B&M Homestore are at the heart of plans for the former Benyon Centre site in Middleton, Leeds

A new Lidl and B&M Homestore are at the heart of the plans for the former Benyon Centre site, a former bus terminus alongside Middleton Ring Road in Leeds.

The site was bought through a joint venture between property companies Marshall CDP and Rothstone Estates from previous owner Tesco.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It will be transformed into a new retail destination called St George’s Retail Park.

Along with the 26,620 sq ft Lidl store and 25,000 sq ft, B&M Home store, there will also be six other shop units of varying sizes as part of the plans.

Mark Rothery, managing director of Rothstone Estates, said: “This is a major brownfield site that has been unused for many years.

“Our plans represent a significant investment into the local area and will provide many new jobs at every level in each store, while delivering more shopping choice for local residents.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Before any planning application is submitted we will be consulting widely with the community in Middleton and Belle Isle and would encourage as many people as possible to get involved in this and attend our public exhibition sessions.

“It’s a key gateway site and we believe that St George’s Retail Park will raise the profile, and footfall, for the Middleton District Centre.”

Initial consultation on the plans will take place later this month where the local community can comment on the proposals and ask questions to the project team.

Public exhibition sessions will be held on September 19 between 3pm-7pm at St George’s One Stop Centre on St George’s Road and at St John and St Barnabus Church Hall on Belle Isle Road on the September 22, also between 3pm and 7pm.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Previously the site had been earmarked for a Tesco store and it has been vacant for over 10 years with the buildings on the land demolished in 2011.

Tesco submitted plans for a 40,000 sq ft ‘eco store’ in 2009.

However, Asda also wanted to build a major new store on land close by and in 2010 it won the battle of the supermarket giants.

Council officers said that granting approval to both applications would adversely affect existing businesses in Middleton District Centre - and also trade in the surrounding communities of Morley, Rothwell, Hunslet and Dewsbury Road.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Asda’s successful proposals included a 64,583 sq ft supermarket with 330 car parking spaces, a petrol filling station and a three-storey office/warehouse building off St George’s Road. They also agreed to relocate existing business Brandon Medical with a new headquarters in the south Leeds area.

Tesco was bidding for a single-storey store with 351 car parking spaces.

Both were valued at around the £1.7m mark when road improvements, jobs and training, public transport provision and other costs were taken into account.

Related topics: