Shoosmiths; The Future of Leeds is Looking Bright

Posted on: January 24th, 2019

Shoosmiths, a partner for our event in Leeds last November, share an overview of the conference, the outputs and the key topics ahead of the next Leeds Development Plans Conference.

The Speakers

The first speaker was Adam Brannen, Head of Development for Leeds City Council. He focussed on how the council was not looking to “develop for development’s sake” but create sustainable growth that was right for Leeds through an inclusive growth strategy. Adam emphasised that affordable and sustainable housing is a priority for the council as progress in this area had slowed.

Shoosmiths Real Estate Partner Simon Meek said: “The Council’s Inclusive Growth Strategy is a demonstration of the pragmatic attitude the Council is taking towards development in Leeds and the growth of its economy in the region, which is good news for developers. In order to achieve their aim, the strategy incorporates 12 Big Ideas. These ideas, especially Big Idea number 6 which aims to double the size of Leeds city centre coupled with Big Idea number 8 in implementing 21^st century infrastructure, will help them achieve their ambitious vision to see change across the city as early as 2023. There is significant commercial development planned in addition to the sustainable residential development, which investors and developers will play a large part in delivering.”

David Hodgson and Theresa White from CEG discussed CEG’s plans for the Southbank area of Leeds which included building works beginning in the New Year with residential and commercial space being available by 2020. CEG also presented an overview of their continued success in Kirkstall Forge which has included a new rail station, homes and commercial property.

Vastint’s speaker Andrew Cobden gave an overview of their planned redevelopment of the former Tetley brewery site which will consist of mixed use and residential buildings with a large city park running through the heart of the development. Shoosmiths is continuing to advise Vastint on the project and is working closely with Vastint, Leeds City Council and their advisers to secure planning permission for the first phase and making preparations for an outline planning application for a second phase.

Shoosmiths Planning Partner Lisa Tye said: “It’s is exciting to be a part of this project. When working on large scale developments such as this one, there is a need to be both commercial and pragmatic and it is about much more than the legal framework. Planning obligations used well are a way of ensuring that development is properly planned and brings all the promised benefits. The city park forms an exciting and central part of this project and will deliver a step change in the cityscape of Leeds. We are very excited about this scheme getting on site in 2019.”

What were attendees asking?

The questions asked at the end of the conference were focussed on the future development of Leeds, how that will look and what challenges are ahead. Leeds City Council was clear that it wanted to collaborate with developers to deliver an improved and integrated city centre. One of the challenges mentioned was the death of the high street and how solutions could be found through redevelopment.

Shoosmiths Real Estate Partner Richard Outhwaite said: “There is no doubt that the retail sector is facing challenges. However, there are certainly some areas which are bucking the trend and I’m keen to see Leeds remaining as one of the areas which will continue to thrive. The investment and development taking place in the city will no doubt keep the high street alive with projects such as the Parklane Group’s (who’re set to speak at our March event) Wellington Street INC Building mixed use development, bringing forward retail along with residential, commercial and leisure space. This flexible approach to the use of space will allow visits to the high street to become part of the community’s lifestyle, allowing for continued growth in the sector.”

Unsurprisingly, the potential challenges of Brexit were on the attendee’s minds. However, the general feeling from the speakers was that the development of Leeds would be largely insulated from any potential economic downturn. It was mentioned that Leeds has seen an increase in construction over the last two years in response to a lack of city centre housing and such demand will not disappear when the UK leaves the European Union.

Shoosmiths Commercial Partner James Wood-Robertson said: “we are entering uncharted territory with Brexit. However, confidence post-Brexit is coming about through the continued investment in Leeds, which includes huge improvements to its infrastructure. To ensure these are brought forward in the wake of Brexit, particular thought needs to be given to state aid to ensure that the complex rules are applied correctly so that any funds/benefits received do not need to be repaid. The Competition and Markets Authority will be the new regulator post-Brexit on state aid and the government’s guidance has indicated that they intend for state aid rules to be robust following withdrawal from the EU. Therefore if developers are relying on state aid to bring projects forward, they will need to tread carefully to make sure they are compliant with the rules.”

Several questions focussed on how developers can create a sense of community in newly built areas. CEG mentioned that during the Kirkstall Forge development they engaged with members of the local community who had actually worked at the forge during the planning phase.

Overall, the mood of the attendees was positive, even while acknowledging the lack of economic certainty. The future of Leeds is undoubtedly looking bright.