City urged to create urban village

Leeds Civic Trust members are urging a change from the type of high-rise developments that have sprung up elsewhere in the city.

A brochure – Leeds City Centre South: The Long View – has been drawn up by the Leeds Sustainable Development Group to try to stimulate a debate about the future of land that includes the Tetley Brewery and the disused Yorkshire Chemicals site.

Group members say that a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity exists to create a sustainable development of the type found in Amsterdam or Paris.

The Group yesterday issued an invitation to everyone interested in the city to take part in the debate about the future of land south of the river Aire, a short walk from the heart of the city.

The leaflet is based on work done by LSDG in contributing to the Leeds City Council's proposed City Vision conference later this year and seeks to give Leeds city centre an even stronger image as a destination and place to settle.

Leading LSDG member and co-ordinator, David Lumb, a city centre-based architect who has lived in Leeds for 41 years, said he had his own ideas about what he would like to see but he wanted to hear opinions from as many people as possible.

He personally wants a move away from the developer-led approach to allow input about city's evolution from a more diverse range of organisations and individuals.

His own ideas involve creating a sustainable community, with housing and workplaces and other amenities side-by-side, with an emphasis on family-friendly facilities.

He has cited Paris, Barcelona and Amsterdam as cities worthy of learning from. He believes that schools, leisure facilities and homes should be created with families in mind, rather than more flats for single people.

Mr Lumb said: "There is an opportunity, in the current downturn, to investigate new approaches to creating a truly sustainable form of development for the city centre.

"The south side of the city centre presents a huge opportunity, in the current climate of economic and political change, to take stock, reassess the city's role in the future and deliver long term sustainable development.

"This should take the form of a shared vision based on everyone's aspiration for their city.

"We want everyone and anyone who is interested to take part in the discussion. To begin with people can contribute their ideas through our website and email."

Leeds Civic Trust director Kevin Grady, said: "In 25 years time the people of Leeds will need to be living in a much more sustainable way.

"This means having a high quality, pleasant style of life but one which has been altered to enable us to accommodate the fundamental changes required by climate change and pressure on scarce resources.

"The redevelopment and adaptation of the huge swathe of land available for redevelopment now or in the medium term south of the river, can put Leeds in the forefront of Europe's sustainable cities and make it an international exemplar.

"Future development, rather than being piecemeal, needs to be guided by a coherent overall strategy for sustainable living. This is a great opportunity for Leeds."

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