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Opera North’s £18 million extension to the Grand Theatre in Leeds

One region which has enjoyed a Spring bounce in new construction activity has been Yorkshire & Humber. Alongside an upturn in private housing and infrastructure, the region is benefitting from new development for the digital and new tech sector, particularly around Leeds.

¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Construction data shows that new project starts across Yorkshire & Humber rose 26% in the quarter to May, compared to the period a year earlier.

The construction work pipeline is also looking healthier in the region. After falling last year, the value of underlying detailed planning approvals rose by 25% in the first four months of 2019, compared to the period last year.

Significant increases have been seen in planning approvals in Yorks & Humber for private housing (up 19% in the four months to April on the period last year), offices (up 22%), hotel & leisure (up 167%), community & amenity work (up 73%), infrastructure (up 53%) and utilities work (up 152%).

Tech hotspot

As Leeds has emerged as a tech hotspot in the region a growing demand for business space is generating new construction activity. According to a recent report on the Leeds office market from Savills, the city has a development pipeline of 269,000 sq ft of new space, having seen a 6% increase in the take up of Grade A office space last year.

One major flagship scheme in Leeds where construction work is expected to start later this summer is developer Vastint’s £155 million new complex on the former Tetley Brewery site on the city’s South Bank. It will include a conference/exhibition centre, two hotels and up to 1000 flats with construction work set to continue for some 60 months (¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Project ID: 14379597).

Leeds’ expanding financial sector is also generating new commercial construction work. Detailed plans have been granted and a contract awarded on an £8 million refurbishment and extension of Leeds Building Society’s offices in Sovereign Street. Work is set to start on the scheme this summer and continue for 15 months (¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Project ID: 17239788).

The city’s growing media sector is also creating opportunities for contractors. A new £6.4 million studio for Channel 4’s new base in the city to be built in a former nightclub is at the pre-tender stage. Work on the 6,100 sq m scheme is expected to start later this year and continue for 12 months (¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Project ID: 18129744).

Cultural development

Significant new development is also underway across the city’s cultural sector. Construction has recently started on an £18 million extension to Opera North’s Grand Theatre in Leeds with work set to run for 15 months (¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Project ID: 05142042).  Meanwhile, construction on the £50 million new Creative Arts Building at Leeds Beckett University will carry on until next summer (¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Project ID: 17175962).

A growing student population in Leeds is also prompting new building activity. Earlier this Spring, construction work started on a £22 million scheme of 407 student flats for Maxis (Ripponden) at Bingley Street which will continue until late 2020 (¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Project ID: 18271133).