Heritage takes centre stage in rebirth of much-loved Leeds street
A new era for New Briggate is dawning as this historic Leeds street gets the love, care, attention and investment that will help ensure its future is every bit as bright as its past.
A range of co-ordinated investments designed to make the character-filled and culturally-rich area even better for visitors, residents and businesses are now having a positive impact, contributing to the wider ongoing transformation of the city centre.
Highway infrastructure improvements – made possible by the permanent re-routing of buses to Vicar Lane as part of the £173.5m Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme (LPTIP) – were finished over the spring, with a new traffic-free space being created through the pedestrianisation of the lower end of New Briggate.
This space benefits from new trees, benches, a significant increase in outdoor ‘street café’ seating and the introduction of a new street-food trading pitch. Picnic benches have also been put in place for the summer outside St John’s Church while a children’s play area is due to be installed this month in neighbouring Merrion Gardens.
A further milestone is being reached this week with the opening of Kino, Opera North’s new 100-seater restaurant. Its arrival follows the completion last year of the £18m Music Works redevelopment of the opera company’s buildings on New Briggate and the adjacent Harrison Street.
… visit Leeds.gov to read full story
Main image credit: Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s ICON rollercoaster (PA)
