Places features

What do you think of Leeds' housing boom?

peter boden
leeds needs a new tram network to add to its infrastructure

Naz, USA
I was born & bred in Leeds. I haven't lived in Leeds for over 4 years now, so don't know much about the housing "boom". What I do know though, is Leeds city centre is full of history & soul. I used to work on Park Row, we were moved out from there so they could build apartments & bring more businesses into that area. There were 3 corner shops we had the choice of going to get a Cornetto or B&H's if need be. It has thrived & before I left for the US, it seemed to be expanding outwards, integrating the borders of the Leeds city centre into what we all know as "town". That's what it needs to do, there's so much wasted land around. They need to make a solid plan & stop plopping buildings here & there. It does need more work, without a doubt & like someone mentioned in a previous post it might be getting too big for its' breaches! I've been hearing that Leeds was going to be the next major city for many years, but it hasn't done so yet, so obviously it needs some tweaks here & there. I think it does need to expand outwards though to become a thriving city. It's museums and other buildings of interest need to have more emphasis put on them also. Business need to be bought back into the city centre, instead of sent out of the city. I hope in doing all this though, they preserve its history. It has older buildings that have so much character, they need to take those into consideration when building around them. Trust me, I live in NY, u stop looking up & saying "wow" after a while as far as the towers go!! I think they should be careful as they expand it though, u want to bring those outer areas into the "city" not the other way around. Anyhow, how bad is Leeds doing that it NEEDS to be made into the next major city?! It's not one yet & it's still doing fine right?! It definitely has potential though, I'm sure.

Billie Wood
As one of the 'few' owner occupiers in Leeds city centre I concur with the lack of facilities, simple things like pillar boxes, maintaining street lighting on walkways, litter bins not too mention ' corner shops'. It is all very well preserving the market and I agree that it should be, however it is not open when I am on my way home from work. Supermarkets are all a car drive away which is surely against the principle of city living. Additionally everything in Leeds seems to be designed for the student young professional. Vertually nothing for the young family, how about a few play areas between blocks. I find myself very much in isolation being almost a senior citizen and having recently purchase a flat in a city centre block. This has not been my experience in other city centes. Leeds really needs to strive to create some mixed age communities.

John Smith
I believe Leeds is a fantastic investment. Maxwell is a joker. I have made millions from property in Leeds. I do not suppose he has.

Steven Smith , Tinshill
I think that cities have to grow in order to keep up with time and building skyscrapers is what we are devoloping into. its like still living in huts just because we dont want to move on

Steve White, Clarence Dock
Maxwell Hutchison made some valid points about Leeds city centre developments, but clearly came with an axe to grind and buried some real concerns under hysteria and hyperbole. As other respondents have indicated, all the development has taken place on derelict land and transformed what was a run down area into a desirable place to live and socialise - that's a massive benefit to Leeds. We do, however, need to make sure that development continues appropriately, and that we show how proud we are of our city by including public open spaces and public art alongside the riverfront development. This has worked to some extent in the Brewery Wharf development. - And for the record, the nearest dentist is on Lower Briggate within 5 mins walk; the nearest doctor's surgery is also within walking distance and there are two "local" shops within 5 minutes walk, which rather beats the 12 mile round trip I used to have to make for each of those services where I lived previously. In summary: the developments to date have re-energised the centre of Leeds to the benefit of the whole city, and further development is needed to ensure that these developments are sustainable for the future

Ryan Groves
You can't knock living in the city. But the comments regarding Quarry Hill have been worrying 'some' of us for years. The answer is perseverance....Another 20 years, they'll come flooding back to the city when traffic reaches critical mass.

R.S, Leeds
I don't get comments like 'the city no longer belongs to them (residents of Leeds) any more'. Virtualy all the new apartment buildings have been built from derelict old buildings or on empty brown field sites that had nothing on them and were just used as car parks or for dumping rubbish, and there was no prospect of anything being built on them. So if entrepeneurs come and build new city residential buildings on these derelict sites, that hasn't changed anything about the ownership of Leeds by the residents as none of these sites were owned by Leeds residents in the first place. As for Leeds being overpriced, property prices are set by market demand, not by any individual or group of people, so who are you trying to blame ? People who buy them and pay the going price have every right to do so, this is a free democratic society.

Ian De whitkirk
I think it's daft to state that clarence dock is a desolate place,when it's only just half finished and is surely Leeds classiest looking big new development so far.OK some other new schemes look rather ordinary but Leeds will have iconic new buildings aplenty if and when schemes such as the Lumiere, Criterion place and the Kite tower get off the ground.The city might then be famed for something other than ****** shopping.

Richard Preece
I really feel sorry for the native residents of Leeds, who are on low-incomes, the city no longer belongs to them anymore. It certainly is shocking that only 5% of apartments in the city centre are actually owner-occupied, with many of the apartments now worth less than their purchase price. I can only see the situation getting worse. Leeds for me has to be the most over-priced and over-rated city in the UK!

Moira Corcoran
I agree with Maxwell Hutchinson to a certain extent. However, I am sure the planners/property developers have done their homework and know what they are doing. Having said that, I do agree that Leeds is becoming "too big for its boots" and the planners have forgotten the less well off in our city. Quarry Hill however is not a good example as its was Council owned and it was their lack of investment in its upkeep that lead to its downfall!

R.S, Leeds
If Leeds skyscrapers don't get built, it'll be a disaster for the city, we will be permanently in the shadow of our competing neighbours and not be taken seriously as a major city. If you don't like skyscrapers, don't live near a big city. We need the other infrastructure in place too, but the government are refusing to fund any of it.

John Osborne
The problems with the new buildings in Leeds city centre, aren't that they look ugly (which they do). No the problem is we need more old style council housing, not social housing or these over priced carbuncles.

Gerri Kostrzewa
I agree with the concerns. Much of the new build is homogenous with little variety. The high rise should be interspersed with mews style developments. Where are the public open spaces? Where is the iconic public building - Gateshead has Baltic Mills and Sage Centre, Salford has the Lowry - Leeds is failing to deliver public art and public spaces. If the city council do not demonstrate their civic pride no one will be proud of the city

Robert Shaw
I think Maxwell Hutchinson is right to some degree there needs to some safe guards to ensure that the infrastructures that the suburbs take for granted should be also be avaible in the center. This is up to the town the planners and council. But everyone reckonises that swapping life in a leaft grove for a 2 bed in the city center has it's own pros and cons. I can't walk outside a 3 bedroom semi in Rawdon and pick up a latte in Cafe Neru or visit the art gallery, or have a five minute walk home after a nice meal on Greek Street. I have M & S food at the train station as a corner shop and i can drive to super market in less 5 minutes at Hunslet. What is the alternative?Another collection of car parks and brownfield sites. A city that had so much potential but never quite realised it. As Maxwell Hutchinson describes places like Clarence Dock souless, i guess we can all say that about any newly built estate.

Andy, Skipton
I think that Leeds' skyscraper revolution is a disaster for the city's skyline. However, at least the future residents of Bridgewater Place will be next door to one of the city's finest traditional pubs - the Grove!

Robert S.
City living isn't for everyone ! Some love and same hate it, this guy no doubt lives in a traditional area and wouldn't like it, fine, but why does he get to publicise his personal view like this ? Leeds is a big city with many comunities including those in the city centre, and ALL major cities have a city centre comunity living in apartments, thats been the way in Europe for many decades and is now spreading across all the UK cities at last. Clarence Dock isn't soulles at all, its a great place and I love it already; it'll be great when it's finally finished, but I don't expect everyone to feel the same way. I agree that more facilities (corner shops etc) are needed for the city centre community, but they are starting to appear now, these things just take time. Leeds is a major city, and should have a good skyline, some good quality high rise buildings is what this city needs to add to the one currently under construction if we are to be taken seriously as a major city. For those that really don't like it should consider living somewhere more suitable as there are plenty of smaller and more historic towns around, instead of trying to block this city's progress all the time.