Member Article

£96 million logistics and manufacturing hub for Temple Green Leeds in the works

Aire Valley Land LLP is submitting planning applications to Leeds City Council for the first phase of works at its £96 million Temple Green logistics and manufacturing hub.

Aire Valley Land is a joint venture between Evans Property Group and Keyland Developments Ltd.

The 165 acre Temple Green site, situated at J45 of the M1, is set to attract occupiers with large requirements who will benefit from being within the Leeds Enterprise Zone.

Temple Green is the largest of 4 development sites located in the Leeds Enterprise Zone which covers 350 acres and has the potential to deliver some 9,500 jobs by 2025.

Leeds City Council recently announced £8.57 million of government funding from the Enterprise Zone Capital Grant Fund to accelerate remediation and infrastructure works at the 4 sites. Temple Green is seeking an allocation of £5.1 million towards its proposals.

Temple Green already has consent for some 3m sq ft of industrial, advanced manufacturing, storage and distribution space and the applications are for the remediation and infrastructure works to create development platforms on 20 acres of land in Phase 1 and also for consent for the proposed usage of the sites.

The 20 acre first phase will incorporate Leeds City Council’s 10 acre, 1000 space park and ride transport interchange together with circa 200,000 sq ft of development on the remaining 10 acres for which Aire Valley Land LLP is seeking permission for motor dealerships and a petrol filling station to service the park and ride users and nearby occupiers.

Once agreements are in place, the £5.1 million government funding, along with an anticipated £4 million loan from Leeds City Region LEP’s Growing Places Fund, is set to be allocated towards the initial phase of works which will commence before November 2014.

The infrastructure works will open up the 25 acre Phase 2 site which can accommodate up to 500,000 sq ft of industrial, advanced manufacturing, storage and distribution space which could generate some 700 jobs.

Phases 3 and 4 can deliver a further 1m sq ft over 2 buildings, with future phases comprising 600,000 sq ft taking the total development capability at Temple Green to over 2m sq ft. Temple Green will become Leeds’ large-unit logistics base, able to accommodate occupiers with major requirements in the region.

The total investment commitment by Aire Valley Land LLP for phases 1 to 4 is estimated at around £96 million.

James Pitt, development director of Evans Property Group, said; “The combination of grant and LEP funding will unlock this prime site, crucially enabling significant infrastructure and servicing works to be brought forward, making the entire scheme deliverable and open for business.

“By preparing the site to be development-ready, we are now in a position to talk to customers about their requirements and start the process of creating a major logistics hub within Leeds.

“We are delighted to be moving ahead with this exciting scheme and to be a step closer to attracting inward investment into Leeds, leading to large scale job creation for the city region.”

Peter Garrett, managing director of Keyland Developments Ltd, continued; “The Leeds Enterprise Zone is undoubtedly one of the most significant projects within the Leeds city region.

“The 165 acre Temple Green site is strategically important due to its immense potential to attract investment and occupiers to the region.

“The site’s ability to accommodate stand-alone buildings of up to half a million square foot will provide an offering that the market desperately needs at a time when confidence is returning.”

Appointed agent on Temple Green is Dove Haigh Phillips.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .