Leeds City Council has granted planning permission for a new White Rose Railway Station to improve connectivity in the south of the city.
The northwest boundary of the White Rose Office Park and Millshaw Park Industrial Estate, between Churwell viaduct to the north and Walkers Bridge to the south has been earmarked for the development.
The project is a partnership between Munroe K, the owners of White Rose Office Park, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Leeds City Council, and Network Rail, and was first proposed in 2018.
The rail station project is an example of how private and public sector collaboration can speed up the delivery of large infrastructure projects in the north, creating environmental, economic and social benefits.
It is hoped that the station will give better opportunities for people to access jobs at the White Rose Office Park, White Rose Shopping Centre and Millshaw Industrial Estate, as well as optimising connections for local residents who wish to access Leeds City Centre and beyond.
New footpaths and cycleways will also be built to ensure easy access to the rail station from nearby communities including Beeston, Cottingley and Churwell.
The surrounding Public Rights of Way will also be upgraded and improved to provide well-lit, level and safe pedestrian routes.
The station forms part of an improved city transport system and is part of a wider transport investment and regeneration programme, the Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme.
The project team will be doing detailed work to understand the potential implications of this development for Cottingley rail station, because it is unlikely that two stations that are so close together can be fully sustained. Following this assessment the team will undertake substantial consultation with local people in 2020 to understand their needs and develop a scheme that best meets their requirements.
A range of options will also be explored to ensure people in Cottingley and neighbouring areas have the access they need to the rail network and other transport links, including the potential for an on-demand bus service for the community.
Speaking on the development, David Aspin, owner of Munroe K, said: “We are delighted that planning permission has been granted to build the railway station that will undoubtedly improve the transport connections both within south Leeds and the wider city.”
“Our partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Leeds City Council and Network Rail has helped to make this proposal become reality. It is a testament to how collaboration can help to make significant progress in providing better connectivity in Leeds and the North. Munroe K is also thankful for the support of its joint owner Orion Capital Managers and its finance partner Lloyds Bank.”
As part of the ongoing Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme, the speed in which infrastructure projects like this can go from concept to delivery is an indicator of how cooperation between the private and public sector can drive significant positive change in the north of England.
Cllr Kim Groves, Chair of West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “This new station serving the White Rose Office Park will result in improved transport links across the area and will act as a catalyst for local regeneration and housing growth, economic activity and jobs in the surrounding area. It will help transform South Leeds and provide new opportunities for the communities of Cottingley, Churwell and Millshaw and Morley.
“Rail stations play an important role in supporting the local economy, linking people to vital services and opportunities and achieving our environmental commitments.”
Roger Marsh OBE DL, Chair of Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, said: “Having shovel-ready infrastructure projects such as the White Rose Railway Station be vital as we begin to stoke the fires of economic growth across the region following the coronavirus pandemic. The collaboration between those involved demonstrates the power of partnership between the public and private sector in delivering core infrastructure schemes.
“With DAZN recently choosing the White Rose Office Park for it’s UK headquarters, as our region looks toward the future, projects such as this will have a catalytic impact in attracting more high calibre businesses to the South Leeds geography, creating aspirational employment opportunities and drawing further talent to the area.”
The planned opening date of the White Rose Railway Station will be during 2022.
Photo credit: Leeds City Council
