With Leeds City Centre set to double in size as rising investment brings exciting prospects across the built environment, Paul Dodsworth, Managing Director of Wates Construction North, joins the debate and emphasises the need for the industry to stay ahead of the curve.

 

“The new year never fails to bring renewed energy and vitality; it’s infectious and is always accompanied by new resolve to strive for improvement. For the majority of us this often equates to new year’s resolutions that have been broken by mid-January but in the world of business, this reinvigoration can do very powerful things when harnessed in the right way.

“The start of 2019 saw Wates move to new premises at Thorpe Park, a new office from which we will grow and continue to do amazing work across Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region. So for us, the sense of new beginnings that comes with the new year is ever greater. But when I look at this fantastic city and the exceptional industry we find ourselves in, I can’t help but be excited by what this year will bring. The development pipeline – particularly with the scale of ambition of the South Bank Regeneration programme – will be an invaluable boost for the built environment industry.
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“In our line of work of course optimism must always be tempered with a measure of caution. Increased investment in Leeds is an incredible opportunity but realising the city’s vision is only possible if the industry can deliver on it. The development of South Bank offers a fantastic pipeline of projects from new housing, the restoration of historic buildings, new arts and culture spaces and of course CEG’s major mixed-use development. The masterplan is diverse, so we as an industry need to ensure it is supported by diverse expertise and skills. We need to match the ambition and innovation that is being cultivated in the city.

“A very big part of this is investing in the skills of the workforce and ensuring that this workforce is constantly welcoming new talent and fresh perspective. It can be very tempting to get so caught up in the day-to-day that you forget to see the bigger picture but building is about much more than the physical – it must always become a catalyst to something much more meaningful.

“This was exactly our ethos at CEG’s major investment at Kirkstall Forge, where last year we handed over the multi-award winning Number One development, home to CEG’s new Forge Studios small business hub. Number One is the first in a host of commercial buildings that will make up this ambitious regeneration programme alongside a new train station, over 1,000 new homes, 300,000 sq ft of office space, retail and a primary school.

“At Kirkstall Forge, Wates joined forces with CEG and Leeds City Council to launch the pioneering ‘Forging Futures Campus’, an on-site training facility designed to open doors to careers in construction for local people. Initially funded by a grant from the Wates Family Enterprise Trust, Forging Futures Campus continues to invest in the future of the workforce through its employability and skills courses as well as professional apprenticeships. It shows it can be done in a way that is sustainable, something that is of vital importance to support both the economic and physical growth of Leeds.

“Supporting the longevity of our supply chain partners across the city and the wider region is also a crucial element in the growth of Leeds in 2019. I am a very big believer that main contractors and the supply chain must never operate in isolation – the two are mutually reliant on one another and if there is a break in this relationship, the entire project pipeline is put at risk. 2019 is going to be a year in which Wates continues to invest in supply chain relationships to ensure we move and grow together and I urge our built environment peers to do the same.

“The opportunity in Leeds is incredible and I am extremely proud of the contributions Wates is currently making to the city. We’re on site at MEPC’s Wellington Place and Leeds City College’s Quarry Hill Campus, and I look forward to the new and exciting projects we will embark upon this year. These projects, and the wider investment in development in Leeds, is a golden opportunity for our industry – an opportunity that it is our duty to maximise.”

 

For further information please contact Truth PR: 

Ruth  / 0161 238 9820 / ruth@truth-pr.co.uk

www.wates.co.uk

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