Leeds Development Corporation

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Leeds Development Corporation
Formation1988
Dissolved1995
Headquarters Leeds
Official language
English
Chair
Peter Hartley CBE
Key people
Martin Eagland

The Leeds Development Corporation was established in 1988 to develop South Central Leeds and the Kirkstall Valley.

History

Leeds Development Corporation advertised on the side of a Yorkshire Rider bus on Eastgate in the 1990s YorkshireRider 7603 F6O3XWY.jpg
Leeds Development Corporation advertised on the side of a Yorkshire Rider bus on Eastgate in the 1990s

The corporation was established as part of an initiative by the future Deputy Prime Minister, Michael Heseltine, in 1988 during the Third Thatcher ministry. [1] Board members were directly appointed by the minister and overrode local authority planning controls to spend government money on infrastructure. This was a controversial measure in Labour strongholds such as East London, Merseyside and North East England. [2] [3]

The corporation's area comprised the former industrial area of South Central Leeds and the site of a former power station in Kirkstall Valley. The corporation faced some opposition in its work at the former power station from the Kirkstall Valley campaign. [4] [5]

Its flagship developments included the Royal Armouries Museum at Clarence Dock [6] and the Hunslet Green housing development. [7] During its lifetime 4,100,000 square feet (380,000 m2) of non-housing development and 571 housing units were built. Around 9,066 new jobs were created and some £357 million of private finance was leveraged in. Around 168 acres (0.68 km2) of derelict land was reclaimed and 7.2 miles (11.6 km) of new road and footpaths put in place. [8]

The Chairman was Peter Hartley CBE and the Chief Executive was Martin Eagland. [9] The Executive Directors were Alan Goodrum, Robin Herzberg and Stuart Kenny. [10] It was dissolved in 1995. [11]

References

  1. ↑ "The Leeds Development Corporation (Area and Constitution) Order 1986". Legislation.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  2. ↑ Parkinson, Michael; Duffy, James (1984). Government's Response to Inner-City Riots: The Minister for Merseyside and the Task Force. Vol. 37. Parliamentary Affairs. pp. 76–96.
  3. ↑ Crick, Michael (1997). Michael Heseltine: A Biography. Hamish Hamilton. p. 238. ISBN   978-0241136911.
  4. ↑ Freeman, Claire (November 1996). "Deflecting Development: competing pressures on urban green space". Planning Practice & Research. 11 (4): 365–378. ISSN   1360-0583. OCLC   1257675814.
  5. ↑ "Cases: R v. Secretary of State ex p. Kirkstall Valley Campaign". Landmark Chambers. 2013. Archived from the original on 17 April 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "The Department for Culture, Media and Sport: The Re-negotiation of the PFI-type Deal for the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds". National Audit Office. 18 January 2001. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  7. ↑ Hunslet Green A Major Development Opportunity on a 50 Acre Site. Leeds Development Corporation. 1988.
  8. ↑ "Impact of Urban Development Corporations in Leeds, Bristol & Central Manchester". Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. 18 November 1998. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
  9. ↑ "House of Lords debates". UK Parliament. 27 March 1995. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  10. ↑ Walker, Derek; Wilson, Guy Murray (1996). The Royal Armouries in Leeds The Making of a Museum. The Royal Armouries. p. 126. ISBN   978-0948092268.
  11. ↑ "The Leeds Development Corporation (Dissolution) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
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