Plans for next phase of £400m Leeds regen fleshed out

Emerging plans have been unveiled for the next phase of a £400m regeneration scheme in Leeds which will include houses, commercial space and a new public square.Commercial Estates Group is behind the Kirkstall Forge scheme, a 56-acre plot of former industrial land located on the A65, four miles from Leeds city centre which will eventually incorporate new houses, offices and retail, leisure and community space.Phase one of the project includes a seven-storey office which is due to complete in August 2017 and will be home to Zenith, the leasing, fleet management and vehicle outsourcing business.Now plans for phase two have been fleshed out ahead of a pre-application presentation next week.Phase two of the development is set to incorporate 112 residential units made up by a mix of 96 houses and 16 apartments. Architecturally, the dwellings will range in height from three to six storeys.There will also be 20,500 sq ft of commercial space for uses including shops, restaurants, cafés, bars, crèches and leisure.The modern design used for the phase one office block will be continued into phase two which will also bring forward the next section of The Stitch – a connective route through the site which will become a primary pedestrian thoroughfare.In addition, a new area of public amenity space makes up part of phase two and will use the topography and natural features of the site.Outline planning permission for the Kirkstall Forge scheme, which is also home to a railway station, was granted back in 2006.