Plan unveiled for 20,000 new homes in Leeds

Development will be concentrated across 84 sites in six different areas, with around 10,000 in the city centre and a similar number in surrounding areas.

Leeds is looking to accelerate delivery as it deals with a rapidly increasing population, with 140,000 people working in its city centre.

“Ensuring that Leeds has a vibrant city centre that everyone can benefit from is at the heart of the council’s plans,” said Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council.

“Transforming our brownfield sites into these attractive communities supports regeneration, continued economic growth and public services, helping to avoid the problems that some cities have faced of low levels of occupation of the city centre at weekends.”

The six development zones include the city centre core, which has been earmarked for nearly 2,000 homes; South Bank and Holbeck, which could accommodate 7,600 homes; and Hunslet Riverside, where 1,885 units are planned.

East Street Corridor and the Northern Gateway, with space for 1,350 and 2,707 homes respectively, and the West End and Kirkstall Corridor, which could support 4,253 units, make up the rest of the zones.

The authority has pledged to deliver a range of schemes from luxury developments to mixed-tenure sites, while working with the private sector to secure funding.

UPDATE AT 09:35 17/03/17: An earlier version of this article stated that all 20,000 homes were planned for Leeds city centre, based on incorrect information supplied by Leeds City Council. It has now been amended.