The regeneration area covers 1,300 hectares of land, including more than 400 hectares of potential development land strategically located immediately to the south-east of Leeds city centre and bounded by the M1 and M621 motorways.
It extends from the southern part of the city centre, including Leeds Dock, through Stourton and Cross Green to the M1 which runs to the east of the city. The £32 million East Leeds Link Road, a new dual carriageway opened in 2009, provides a direct road link from Leeds city centre through the Aire Valley Leeds to junction 45 of the M1 motorway.
The area is already home to around 400 businesses employing around 15,000 people, mainly in manufacturing, wholesale and distribution, along with more recent office and service employment at business parks such as Leeds Valley Park and waterfront locations.
Key companies based in the Aire Valley Leeds include Arla Foods, the UK’s largest dairy foods producer, dried foods manufacturer Symingtons, Hesco Bastion, Everbuild, Allied Glass, Cameron, Roberts Mart, Omega Signs, Ventura, BAE Systems, Mitsubishi Power Engineering Systems and Siemens.
Residential communities surrounding the Aire Valley Leeds include Richmond Hill, Osmondthorpe and Halton Moor to the north and Beeston Hill & Holbeck, Hunslet, Belle Isle and Middleton to the south and west.
Fully developed, the area could support up to 40,000 new jobs and 12,000 new homes.
