In October 2008, the Leeds City Region Partnership submitted proposals to Government for Urban Eco Settlements (UES). These proposals were put forward as a sustainable alternative to a freestanding eco town, that better met the housing and regeneration needs and ambitions of the city region.
The LCR Urban Eco Settlements (UES) proposals complement the housing growth agenda whilst seeking to deliver the Eco-Towns principles in four major urban brownfield locations within the heart of some of the city region’s major economic and population centres.
The proposals focus on four major brownfield regeneration locations within existing cities:
- Aire Valley Leeds
- Bradford-Shipley Canal Corridor
- York Northwest
- North Kirklees/South Dewsbury
A joint study with the Government, Urban Eco Settlements Deliverability Assessment, investigating the delivery potential of each of the proposed four UES locations was completed in January 2009.
The study concluded that all four locations have significant potential for creating new urban eco communities in major regeneration priority areas, and each has the potential to achieve early progress and outcomes over the next two years.
The study also identified two locations at Hunslet Riverside (Aire Valley, Leeds) and the British Sugar site (York Northwest) as being sufficiently advanced for development to start on the ground within the next 2-3 years. It will, however, be important to ensure that each of the four locations are progressed simultaneously due to their potential for contributing to wider city region housing growth and regeneration ambitions.
Agreed funding to obtained by the Partnership to support the Programme includes:
- Funding for a Combined Heat and Power plant in the Aire Valley
- Funding the development of affordable homes on Brewery Lane in the Aire Valley
- £600k to support masterplanning and the development of Area Development Plans in the Aire Valley, Bradford Shipley Canal Road Corridor and York North West, Flood Risk Assessments and investigations into water compatible development and an eco exemplar demonstration project in the Aire Valley.
A copy of the document setting out the city region’s Urban Eco Settlements proposals and the subsequent Delivery Assessment are available to download on the right.