Work due to start outside Leeds’ Corn Exchange building

Work is set to start later this week on transforming the public realm outside Leeds’ iconic Corn Exchange building.

The work, which will run alongside and complement the Connecting Leeds highways work, will see planted trees lining the streets to create a welcoming green space and shelter for wildlife, safer routes through for cyclists, and crossing points designed to assist pedestrians to navigate through the space safely.

Leeds City Council will also enter into a lease with the Corn Exchange and its owners Rushbond, in a bid to create a new Pavilion building alongside the new outdoor seating area in the public space outside Corn Exchange capable of hosting an array of outdoor events and activities along with ‘al-fresco’ dining.

The building will be built by Rushbond and is subject to further planning approvals. The public space in the City Centre will provide a major new amenity for the people of Leeds, a place to meet, greet and experience, with the backdrop of one of the City’s most celebrated buildings. To support this Rushbond is proposing a significant capital injection of funding into the scheme.

The rest of the scheme will be funded by part of the £8.6m of match funding from the government’s Getting Building Fund which is part of Leeds’ £12.2m Grey to Green programme.

‘It is exciting to see this important project come to fruition in a bid to provide our beautiful Corn Exchange building a befitting setting,’ said executive member for climate change, transport and sustainable development, Cllr Helen Hayden.

‘Removing excess street clutter, planting more greenery, providing safer routes for cyclists and improving the safety of the crossings will transform this key gateway in to one which is central to a vibrant and independent retail, food, drink and day-time and nightlife offer.

‘This, alongside the other three inter-related grey to green schemes will help us make Leeds city centre cleaner and greener; helping to unlock major commercial and residential development across the centre of Leeds, as well as the delivery of private sector investment in to the new City Park; the largest new city centre green space in the region.’

Photo Credit – Supplied