Next stage of major redevelopment to be considered

The development includes plans for shops and 500 flats

Proposals for the next stage of development at Aire Park in Leeds are to be considered by Leeds City Council.

Developer Vastint's plan includes shops, a multi-storey car park and more than 500 flats around the former Tetley Brewery site.

Some existing buildings would be demolished to make way for the scheme, according to the planning documents.

If approved, the proposals for the land east of Crown Point Road would see Aire Park fully completed in 2032.

The idea for Aire Park came over a decade ago following the closure of the Tetley brewery in 2011.

Leeds City Council identified the building as a key landmark in plans to transform the space, along with the wider South Bank area, now known as Aire Park.

The building itself had operated as a gallery for 10 years, but in 2022 it was bought from Carlsberg by Vastint.

Kirkstall Brewery announced earlier this year it would be taking over the lease to restore its status as a “landmark of Yorkshire beer culture”.

Hibiscus Rising is a new public artwork on the edge of Aire Park

At the centre of the plans is an ambition to create the "largest new city-centre green park in the country".

The first part of that park, known as Tetley Green, opened this year.

Adjacent to the green is a new artwork, Hibiscus Rising by Yinka Shonibare, which is dedicated to British-Nigerian David Oluwale who drowned in the River Aire in 1969 after being chased by police.

It is connected to Aire Park through the new Theatre Garden, which features stages, seating and raised planting beds.

Completing the Tetley Triangle is the construction of 190,000 sq ft (17,651 sq m) of office space along with 20,000 sq ft (1,858 sq m) of ground floor retail at 1 and 3 South Brook Street.

They are due to be completed later this year.

Director of the Leeds Civic Trust, Martin Hamilton has called the vision positive.

The changes already made to the area have been "significant" according to Leeds Civic Trust.

Its director, Martin Hamilton said: "Bringing back a positive use to this area and creating a huge new city centre park is a big gain.

"Leeds city centre has a real lack of green space, as a city we have a lot of it, but as a centre we have too little of it so that is a real positive."

Mr Hamilton said the vision for a mixed use, including offices, accommodation, and leisure use was "very sensible".

He added: "There is a slight disappointment it wasn't possible to retain a gallery use on site though, this is a huge commercial site and having one pocket as an independent not-for-profit function seems to the Leeds Civic Trust like it could have been a better way of doing things.

"All I would say is 'the devil is in the detail' and what we really want to see is high quality architecture."

Leeds City Council's planning panel will view a pre-application presentation on the next phase of developments on Thursday.