Application submitted for residential development at Kirkstall Forge

Designed by Stirling prize award-winning Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, the reserved matters planning application unveils contemporary homes of a unique design, resembling the local stone of the old Forge building and Kirkstall Abbey.

Kirkstall Forge nestles within a wooded valley of the River Aire, with the river and canal flowing through the site, surrounded by extensive woodland. The homes are unusually spacious, offering twelve foot high ceilings in livings spaces, open staircases, rooflights and open plan living.

James Shimwell, head of residential development at CEG, said: �This next phase of development will deliver a vibrant place for people to live, eat, drink and socialise. We have worked extensively with Leeds City Council and our designers to produce a scheme that will deliver the highest quality of contemporary design.�

The contemporary homes offer a selection of gardens and terraces on different floors, with private roof terraces for the apartments, this maximises the opportunity the sloping site offers for views of the woodland, waterside and across the valley. Some of the larger family homes will also benefit from the historic Mill Race flowing through the end of the garden.

Garages for parking and storage lie beneath the buildings to enable pedestrian-friendly, tree-lined streets which offer seating and play space to encourage neighbourliness and interaction.

The masterplan focuses on the creation of a vibrant new community. The riverside terraces create gently sloping streets and a central riverside boulevard connects the new bridge to the station and south-facing riverside event spaces and proposed public square. Here, shops, caf�s and restaurants will spill out onto the paved public realm and large communal courtyard garden.

Andrew Macintosh, associate at FCBStudios, said: �Much of our inspiration has been taken from �model villages� such as Saltaire and the steep terraced streets found in many Yorkshire towns. The communal, pedestrian-friendly areas in front of the homes also benefits from contemporary Scandinavian ideas about co-housing and will help to build a true sense of community amongst those who are lucky enough to be the first to move into this pioneering new neighbourhood. This beautiful urban village creates spaces for a new generation to live, work and explore.�

Comprising a mix of family houses and apartments, subject to planning permission development could commence in autumn 2017 with homes available for sale in 2018.

This first phase of houses at Kirkstall Forge will be the beginning of a new village. The range of different houses and apartments all make the most of the surrounding landscape are key to building a new future and a new community for this area, with its rich history.

Developer CEG is leading the development of the 57 acre Kirkstall Forge site and has already managed more than �40million of investment into clearance, decontamination and infrastructure. Following the successful opening of the new railway station connecting the site to Leeds� in minutes, the first phase of commercial development completes this autumn, delivering number One Kirkstall Forge, an 110,000 ft�, seven-storey Grade A office building, which is already 50% let to Zenith for its new headquarters.

Ultimately the site will become home to a thriving mixed-use community, comprising 1,050 new homes, 300,000 ft� of offices and 100,000 ft� of retail, leisure and community space. Once complete, more than 10,000 people will live, work and visit the site.

Jon Kenny from CEG said: �We have invested heavily in regenerating this unique brownfield site and are committed to delivering an ambitious and innovative development for Leeds.

�Kirkstall Forge is unique, it will deliver fresh, sustainable new ways of living and working amongst acres of green space in a wooded riverside setting. With contemporary housing, restaurants, caf�s, a school, leisure space and light-filled offices, it will provide the vibrancy of city life as well as the tranquillity of the outdoors.�

Kirkstall Forge is one of the oldest industrial sites in the country, with an 800 year history. More than �40 million in developer funds have been invested in demolition, site clearance, decontamination, infrastructure works and the construction of the first office building to date. The site will generate an estimated �5million a year in retail spend in the area, boosting the local economy.

CEG and Wates have also opened the Forging Futures Campus on site which is delivering an innovative vocational training programme on site, creating Yorkshire�s future developers, buildings, architects and engineers through hands-on activities, curriculum projects and work experience.