The Leeds City Region has an economy bigger than eight EU member states and is centrally located within the UK, enjoying strategic road, rail, air and sea links to London, Edinburgh and the continent. The LCR has an economy worth over £50 billion per annum, a population of 3 million and a workforce of 1.5 million.
It is the UK’s largest manufacturing centre outside London, Europe‘s third largest centre for financial services and has the highest concentration of universities in Europe.
Covering a total of 142 hectares of prime development land, the Leeds enterprise zone offers access to a thriving regional economy, well established supply chains and markets across the UK.
The four development sites which make up the enterprise zone are located along the route of the East Leeds Link Road, a £32 million dual carriageway which links Leeds city centre to junction 45 of the M1 motorway.
Fully developed, the enterprise zone has the potential to deliver up to 7,000 jobs and act as the catalyst for development of the wider Aire Valley Leeds, one of the largest regeneration areas in the North of England and already home to over 400 businesses.
The local business base includes manufacturing, engineering, transport, distribution and a wide range of business to business service industries, including large national operations and smaller specialist firms.
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, Veolia, Allied Glass, Cameron, Roberts Mart, Omega Signs, Mitsubishi PES and Siemens.
The new Temple Green Park & Ride facility will provide visitors and employees located within the EZ with direct, fast and frequent bus services to and from Leeds City Centre from 6am to 10pm 7 days a week. HS2 recently announced that the new 24-hour depot will be located at Gateway 45 where the high speed trains will be maintained, serviced and stored, opening up opportunities for the rail industry and its supply chain.
