Contractors appointed for �400 million Leeds City Region development

The first phase, a 15,534 sq m, seven-storey office building starts on site in the New Year with completion expected in spring 2017. Planning permission was secured by Nathanial Lichfield and Partners on behalf of CEG and the flagship building was designed by architects Cooper Cromar.

As part of the development, Wates will be responsible for delivering CEG and Leeds City Council�s innovative vocational training programme on site. This will involve teenagers as young as 14 having the opportunity to work alongside developers, builders, architects and engineers, leading to apprenticeship opportunities when they reach 16 year�s old.

James Shimwell from CEG said:

�Ultimately, the Kirkstall Forge development will offer prime office space and new homes with fantastic facilities in a stunning riverside, woodland location with unsurpassed transport connections into Leeds, Bradford and the Yorkshire Dales.

�It is the most ambitious project in the north of England and we wanted to ensure we had a dynamic team helping to deliver our vision. We also look forward to our unique partnership which will train Leeds� future architects, bricklayers, civil engineers, joiners, plumbers and electricians through site visits, curriculum projects, hands-on work experience and mentoring support.�

The first phase at Kirkstall Forge will be delivered by the following team:

  • Wates � principal contractor
  • Pierre Angulaire Limited � Project manager
  • WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff � civil and structural engineering consultancy
  • Weetwood � flood risk management and hydrological consultancy
  • Turner and Townsend � cost management consultancy
  • WYG � site wide infrastructure and environmental consultancy
  • Hoare Lea - Mechanical & Electrical, Lift Engineering, Acoustics, BREEAM & Sustainability consultancy
  • Planit-IE - Landscape Architect

Work is already underway to deliver a new dedicated railway station connecting the site to Leeds City Centre in just minutes. Infrastructure work is also being undertaken by I&H Brown to deliver the access road into the railway station, deliver a river bridge crossing and to service the site for the first phase. This is expected to complete later this year.

Kirkstall Forge will be transformed into a thriving mixed-use community in a wooded riverside setting. Ultimately it will deliver new homes, a high quality office park, shops, restaurants, a gym, cr�che and other facilities. The scheme will create in the region of 2,400 new jobs, boosting the local economy by more than �5 million per year. It will enable almost 10,000 people to live and work on the site by 2020, bringing economic revival to a site with an 800 year history as the oldest continuously industrialised site in the UK.

The development has secured the national Placemaking Award for Best Mixed-use Development 2015 - The judging panel, which includes urban designers, planners, housebuilders, regeneration companies, the Prince�s Regeneration Trust and English Heritage, said they loved the scheme�s scale, ambition, partnership and environmental values.

Paul Dodsworth, Business Unit Director for Wates Construction North East and Yorkshire said:

�We�re extremely proud to be appointed as principal contractor for one of the most ambitious regeneration projects the region has seen for years.

�The scheme is integral to the economic growth of West Yorkshire and will see us utilise our vast experience in order to produce a unique living environment, which will perfectly complement the historic and natural surroundings.

�We look forward to commencing construction and helping CEG deliver their vision to create a vibrant community for people to live and work.�

Commercial Estates Group is currently supporting Leeds City Region attendance at MIPIM UK. To find out more information about Leeds City Region�s presence at MIPIM please click here