Shops planned for historic railway arches

An artist's impression of the railway arches under Monk Bridge Viaduct

Shops could sit inside the arches of a Grade II listed railway viaduct as part of an urban redevelopment scheme.

Plans have been submitted for 12 commercial units under the former Monk Bridge Viaduct near Whitehall Road, Leeds.

An urban park was opened on top of the viaduct in 2023 as part of a regeneration of the area, which included new apartments.

Architects said the buildings would be designed not to touch the fabric of the viaduct, which was built in the 1840s.

A design report submitted to Leeds City Council by Material Architects said the buildings would be bespoke to each railway arch, but built with similar materials.

It said: "The proposed design looks to house the new commercial pavilions within the vacant arches of the listed railway viaduct without causing any negative impact upon the historic asset."

Monk Bridge Viaduct stopped being used by the rail network in the 1960s after the closure of Leeds Central railway station and was later partially demolished and blocked off.

The structure was later named after the Doncaster Monk Bridge Works that once stood on the site. The factory originally made gas turbine blade forgings and closed in 2005.

The report added: "The viaduct signifies a visual and cultural representation of the site's industrial past and the activities which once characterised the area

"It is considered that the proposed commercial uses would constitute complementary and sustainable uses and represent a good neighbour to those newly built developments."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, planning permission and listed building consent have been sought from Leeds City Council for the project.

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