Morbaine, working together with 11 land owners has put together a proposal for a major town centre regeneration project in Leeds.

Following discussions with local people and the City Planners, amended plans have now been submitted.

The site which extends to 6 acres is immediately opposite to the newly re-developed leisure centre in the town of Armley. Currently the site is in a mix of uses including waste transfer station, metal casting and retail.

It is propsed to replace these with a 90,000 sq.ft. foodstore on stilts above a 500 space car park. There will also be a petrol filling station and new public open space town square area.

The site lies within the town centre boundary and has been worked up in consultation with planning officers at Leeds City Council.

A presentation has been made to the Armley Forum and an exhibition has taken place in Armley library and at the Armley Fun Day. Comment cards were available for the public to complete and to date 92% have been in favour of the project. Please CLICK HERE to view details of the updated plans.

Below is a press release issued as the new plans were submitted:-

UPDATED SUPERSTORE PLANS SUBMITTED SHOW HOW THE AREA WILL BE IMPROVED

Following extensive discussion with Leeds Planners and detailed public consultation, the plans submitted by Morbaine Ltd for a new foodstore and petrol filling station opposite the Leisure Centre at Carr Crofts, Armley have been updated.

This week Morbaine has submitted amended plans showing more detail of their proposals. The historic Chapel, now the Carpet Mill building, is to be retained and refurbished with windows reinstated back into the side elevation to create a new distinctive feature for the corner of Carr Crofts and Town Street. In addition, new retail units are now proposed on Carr Crofts, adjacent to the new Town Square, to extend the shopping frontage and provide better linkage between Town Street and the new foodstore. The petrol filling station kiosk has been enlarged to extend the retail frontage along Carr Crofts, while the PFS canopy is of an innovative asymmetrical design which will provide a striking feature.

The foodstore itself, in order to maximise land use, is raised above the ground on stilts with the car park below. The store has been moved closer to Modder Avenue, with the glazed customer access atrium providing a ground level frontage to Carr Crofts.

The project, if approved, will provide a major boost to retailing in Armley allowing it to compete effectively with other neighbouring centres. Currently, according to research undertaken, only 8% of people living within a 5 minute drive of Armley actually shop there.

Commenting on the plans a Morbaine spokesman said “We have had numerous meetings with Leeds Planners who have asked for more detail in certain areas. Currently the site comprises a mixture of rundown or derelict buildings together with waste land and the development represents a great improvement to this. The plans now submitted offer the opportunity to regenerate this entire area with a multi-million pound privately funded development to build on the recent publicly funded projects at the Leisure Centre and the Health Centre.

The development will bring with it up to 400 new jobs in an area of Leeds where unemployment currently runs at close to 12.5%. It will also allow many of the existing employers on the site to move to improved facilities within Leeds and enable them to provide up to 50 additional jobs.

Our public consultation has resulted in 90% respondents being in favour of the development, with 71% saying that as a direct result of the store they will shop in Armley and support its local shops”.

It is understood that the application is likely to go before Councillors in February for determination.

For further information about this proposal please contact Graham Adams at Morbaine on 0151 424 4211 or info@morbaine.co.uk

Below is a press release that was issued as the planning application was submitted:-

92% IN FAVOUR OF SUPERSTORE REGENERATION PROJECT IN ARMLEY

Experienced retail developer, Morbaine, has today submitted a planning application for a new 90,000 sq.ft. superstore, petrol filling station and open space town square in Armley Town Centre which will create up to 400 new jobs.

The application, on the site of the existing waste transfer station and Armley Spice restaurant on Carr Crofts, is opposite the new Leisure Centre and represents a further significant regeneration project for the town.

The plans which have evolved through discussion with City Council Officers have been presented to Local Councillors, The Armley Forum and the public in recent weeks at the Armley One Stop Centre. Many positive comments have been received with 92% of people in favour of the proposal.

Town Centre Manager for Armley Nigel Conder had this to say “ Whilst the development will impact on some of the existing businesses in Armley the overall benefits from such a development can not be understated. This proposal if agreed will bring much needed employment to the area and create a wider interest with people from outside the town bringing them to Armley. I have spoken to Morbaine to express the necessity that the new development has connectivity with Town Street so that Town Street doesn’t become isolated”.

A Morbaine spokesman stated “We are very pleased with the positive reaction from local people to our proposal with many people seeing the spin off trade benefits to other shops as people are attracted back to the town. The application is now before the City Planning Department and all being well we could begin works on site this time next year”.

For further information about the proposal please contact either Graham Adams or Barris Liptrott at Morbaine on 0151 424 4211 or info@morbaine.co.uk