Textiles giant shelves plans for historic city building
Option for Temple Works site now relinquished
BURBERRY HAS scrapped plans to open a new state-of-the-art manufacturing and weaving facility at the Grade I listed Temple Works building in Leeds’s South Bank.
The luxury fashion brand said it is considering whether to develop the 10 acres of land it owns next to the building or whether to maintain the sites it currently owns at Castleford and Cross Hills in Yorkshire. Another option would be to build a new green field site.
The Temple Works building would have involved an initial investment of over £50m in the heart of Yorkshire and was expected to provide permanent employment for more than 1,000 people.
The news that the site will not be used will come as a blow to Leeds’ South Bank. The plans were put on hold after the Brexit referendum last year.
Julie Brown, chief finance officer of Burberry, said: “We have decided not to push ahead with the Temple Works building. We have let the option lapse. We have a programme of refurbishment for our other sites in Yorkshire.
“We are very committed to Leeds. We have chosen Leeds as the home for Burberry Business Services. We looked at overseas sites but because of our heritage in Yorkshire we chose Leeds.”
Burberry owns a development site of just under 10 acres and an adjacent vacant building at Holbeck, South Bank. The firm said it had an option on the neighbouring Grade 1 Temple Works building which has now lapsed.
“Our options could involve an additional manufacturing facility,” said Ms Brown.
“We want to analyse the best options for the company. A new building is still being considered. We have put the plan on hold. We’ve decided to take our time. There is no pressing urgency.”
Burberry said it will consider the three options and make a decision in a year or so.
Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “Burberry have assured us that their proposal to create a factory in Leeds is still on the table and we will continue to work positively with them to achieve that.”
BURBERRY’S PLANS to invest £50m in a new manufacturing and weaving facility in Leeds had been hailed as one of the major successes of the ongoing South Bank redevelopment in the city.
It promised to bring the derelict Temple Works and adjacent land in Holbeck to back into use, with 800 jobs moving to the city and around 200 more created.
But the development was cast into doubt in April when the luxury fashion brand said the plans were on hold pending a review.
Now it has decided to give up its option for the Temple Works sites altogether, with only the adjacent site being retained.
The council and business community remained largely upbeat yesterday though, focusing instead on the fact that the factory could yet happen.
Leeds City Council leader Judith Blake said assurances had been given that the proposal was still on the table.
“We will continue to work positively with them to achieve that. Their original site adjacent to Temple Works is still very much in the mix and we also have other options available.
“Clearly it is disappointing that they are no longer pursuing the option of developing Temple Works, but we have been actively working on securing a sustainable and appropriate future use for what is one of the largest and most magnificent Grade I listed buildings in the North.”
Should the factory go ahead, it will mean 800 jobs moving from existing sites in Castleford and Cross Hills near Keighley. The plan was to hand those back to the community for regeneration.
And Burberry’s chief finance officer Julie Brown insisted it was “very committed” to Leeds and to manufacturing in Yorkshire.
Burberry is still on track to move its business services team from London to Leeds in October.
Its new site at 6 Queen Street will house up to 300 staff who have been offered relocation, although the company said it was too early to say how many would choose to make the move.
Gerald Jennings, president of Leeds Chamber of Commerce, said: “Burberry has already committed to locate a significant number of jobs into Leeds and we are pleased to hear commitment to maintaining a manufacturing base in our region, whether it is in Leeds or Castleford.”
He said the South Bank redevelopment continued to move forward and the HS2 Growth Strategy would give “further, exciting investment opportunities”.
But others recognised that yesterday’s announcement was a blow to both the prospects of bringing Temple Works back into use and job creation.
Leeds Civic Trust director Martin Hamilton said: “This is a real pity. The idea of bringing this vast iconic building back to something close to its original use had really captured the imagination. Finding a long term use for the building continues – as do concerns about its deteriorating state of repair.”
It was a concerned shared by Leeds Central MP Hilary Benn (Labour), who said: “This is very disappointing news, in particular for the future of the iconic Temple Works. I really hope that Burberry do eventually decide to go ahead with a new plant and the jobs it would create.”
We will continue to work positively with them. Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council.