Further boost for Leeds City Region housing & regeneration sites

New housing and regeneration sites across the Leeds City Region could be brought forward as part of an additional �55 million secured by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in a recent top-up to its �1billion-plus Growth Deal.

Six schemes were today discussed by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority�s Investment Committee following negotiations with government as part of the additional funding allocation.

The government awarded the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) unprecedented flexibility and power over the extra funding for housing and regeneration schemes and six sites were identified as ready for delivery in the next twelve to eighteen months. They include Barnsley town centre, Bath Road remediation in Leeds, Bradford/Shipley Canal Road Corridor, Castleford Growth Corridor, Pioneer House in Dewsbury and York Guildhall and Riverside.

Strategic

Bradford Council Leader, Cllr David Green, Chair of the Combined Authority Investment Committee said: �As preparations begin to take place on the ground for new housing and regeneration sites across the City Region, it is important we ensure there is a deliverable pipeline of strategic schemes that can get underway at the earliest possible opportunity.

�This is good news for people across the Leeds City Region as these sites have the potential to generate new jobs, and provide our residents with affordable homes for the future.�

Ambition

Roger Marsh, Chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Deputy Chair of the Combined Authority Investment Committee added, �The level of flexibility we have been awarded by government enables us to take important decisions over which schemes will deliver the best outcomes for local people and ensure value for money in terms of jobs created and impact on the local and national economy.

�In our Strategic Economic Plan, we set out our ambition to double the rate of house-building and I am pleased the Investment Committee is having these important discussions at such an early stage, to ensure we have a strategic outlook on long term economic growth and take us a step closer to achieving this ambition.�

Today�s discussion follows the decision taken at the Combined Authority meeting in January this year, to invest �14m in housing and regeneration schemes. These additional six sites put forward at today�s Investment Committee meeting build on this earlier decision, creating a rolling programme of investment projects across the Leeds City Region.

Investment Committee meeting agenda