Kirkstall District Centre: Council agrees land sale to housing developer

The redevelopment of the former Kirkstall District Centre has moved a step closer to reality after Leeds City Council chiefs agreed to sell council-owned land at the site.As revealed by the Dispatch last month, Artisan Real Estate want to buy the land from owners Leeds City Council and Tesco and transform the area into about 266 apartments and 35 town houses. A full planning application is expected in the autumn.The site is jointly owned by the council and retail giants Tesco, who failed in their bid to build a new supermarket.Members of the council’s decision-making executive board agreed that all council-owned land within the site, including land leased to Tesco, should be declared as operationally surplus.Documents detailing the amount of money the council will make from the sale of the site to Artison have been restricted as ‘confidential’.Public consultation on the details of the proposed residential scheme will be undertaken prior to a planning application being submitted.Kirkstall Neighbourhood Forum will discuss the proposed development at its next meeting on Monday 17 September in Leeds Postal Sports Association Club on Beecroft Street (7.30pm). Concern has already been exmpressed about the likely affect of traffic on already congested streets.