Green light for £40m innovation and enterprise hub

A new £40m innovation and enterprise centre at the University of Leeds has been given the green light by Leeds City Council.Members unanimously voted to defer and delegate the approval of the application to the chief planning officer, subject to completion of a legal agreement. Offering a gateway to help businesses access the university’s research, the centre is part of the institution’s £520m investment in its campus, aimed at positioning Leeds as one of the UK’s top higher education institutions.The centre, to be named Nexus, will be positioned at the south edge of campus, close to the city centre.The centre will offer a community for tenants, providing high quality office and lab space for technology-led companies, corporate R&D and new product development teams. It will also house a range of spaces for networking and collaboration, including meeting rooms, a cafe and a business lounge.The new facility, which will open its doors in 2018, is one of several developments underway at the university, with infrastructure investment ranging from £90,000 – £90m.The centre has been designed by Associated Architects and the planning consultant was Indigo Planning.