‘Skyscraper city’ ambitions rekindled as task force set up for supertower applications

AN ARRAY of new skyscrapers could transform the Leeds skyline in the next few years, reversing the disappointments of almost a decade ago when the recession destroyed an anticipated ‘tall towers’ boom in Yorkshire’s largest city.

The Yorkshire Post understands council bosses are expecting a wave of development proposals to come forward for buildings with ‘supertower’ potential.

Plans for eight huge towers on three key sites in Wade Lane, Bridge Street and Globe Road are already at design or pre-decisionmaking stage. And civic experts say there are “whispers of others in the pipeline”.

Leeds City Council has even set up a special tall towers task force to deal with the raft of current and expected applications and lay down guidelines for developers.

Martin Hamilton, director of Leeds Civic Trust, said the city’s renewed focus on big buildings was “a sign that things are picking up”.

And referring to the muchanticipated but ultimately abandoned Lumiere and Kissing Towers schemes of almost a decade ago, he added: “This time round we will definitely see one or two of these buildings happen, as long as the economy doesn’t take a nosedive.”

He said Leeds already has an impressive skyline but there is “definitely” scope to enhance it.

“Our view is that as long as the buildings are high quality, and wind issues like those at Bridgewater Place are considered, height is not a concern.”

Tomorrow’s City Plans Panel at Leeds Civic Hall will hear updated proposals for the new £350m Temple Quarter in Globe Road.

The blueprint includes two skyscrapers of 40 and 25 storeys,

Councillor Neil Walshaw, who chairs the influential decisionmaking panel, said the council “absolutely” welcomes big and bold plans for tall buildings.

But he added: “We don’t want a repeat of Lumiere and the Kissing Towers. What we want is certainty.”

He said the renewed developer interest in building supertowers was a “pretty ringing endorsement of where we are as a city”, adding that “if someone is building 40 storeys, they are thinking big”.