A brand new train station in Leeds which could cost up to £22 million has been given the go ahead.
Leeds City Council has approved the decision for a new two-platform station to be built near the White Rose Shopping Centre in Beeston, Leeds.
It will be located on the Leeds to Dewsbury section of the main trans-Pennine rail line, and in addition to serving the White Rose office park and shopping centre , it would also connect communities including Cottingley, Churwell, Middleton and Milshaw.
Platforms at the station will accommodate six-carriage trains, with space to expand to accommodate those with eight carriages in the future.
At least two trains per hour will pass through the station in each direction.
Along with the new station, two three-storey station buildings will be built (one on either side of the railway line), as well as canopy walkways, cycle parking, disabled parking spaces and "pick up and drop off" points.
It is estimated that once the station is built, 340,000 trips will be made annually, and that it could support the creation of 10,000 jobs.
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£2.61 million of funding to develop the station was previously granted by West Yorkshire Combined Authority in November, with the project estimated to cost £22 million overall.
In the report approving the decision, a Leeds City Council planning officer said: "The proposal would provide an opportunity for the growth of a sustainable transport mode that would facilitate the growth of the local economy and local existing and future residential communities.
"The proposal seeks to develop a parcel of land with a railway station and associated infrastructure that will be integral to supporting the local communities’ needs and the long term economic growth of an area that is identified as a regeneration priority."
No confirmation as to what will happen with Cottingley train station - considered likely to close with the development of a White Rose station - has yet been announced.
Building will commence within the next three years, with February 2021 estimated to be the earliest start date.
High Speed 2 Ltd (HS2) has launched contract opportunities with a combined value of more than £1bn.
Contracts for tunnel fit-out, overhead catenary systems and communications installation have all been put out to tender in the last few weeks.
Combined they are worth more than £1bn, with the tunnel fit-out contract valued at £498M, while both the overhead catenary systems job and the communications contract are priced at £300M each.
All contracts cover phase one of the line between London and Birmingham, and have the option to extend to cover phase 2a to Crewe.
It comes after the government gave notice to proceed, paving the way for construction of phase one.
The project promoter has also announced a huge recruitment drive as it ramps up towards main construction on phase one. 500 new jobs have been put out to the market across a range of disciplines, from engineering and project management to land and property, procurement and commercial.
Over 300 of the roles will be based in Birmingham, West Midlands, and the new roles announced today will push the total number of jobs the project has supported to over 10,000 once recruited.
HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson said: “These jobs are a welcome boost for workers across the country at this challenging time, providing the opportunity to play a crucial part in delivering HS2, an integral part of improving connectivity and levelling up our country.
“We continue to work with the transport and construction industry to accelerate projects, where safely possible, to kickstart our economy, provide more employment opportunities and drive our recovery as we build out of Covid-19.”
Later this year, HS2 Ltd is also expected to launch procurement on its high voltage power supply contract, as well as starting the hunt for contractors to work at the Washwood heath depot.
Contracts relating to phase 2a civils (Main Works Design and Delivery Partner) and construction of Birmingham Interchange are also due to go out to tender later this year.
Boris Johnson is sweeping in radical reforms to the planning system to allow vacant buildings in town centres to be converted to housing.
Under the new rules, existing commercial properties, including newly vacant shops, can be converted into residential housing more easily, in a move to kick start the construction industry and speed up rebuilding.
He also said the government will launch a planning Policy Paper in July setting out comprehensive reforms to England’s seven-decade old planning system to introduce a new approach that works better for our modern economy and society.
The changes which are due to come into force from September will allow a wider range of commercial buildings to change to residential use without the need for a planning application.
Also builders will no longer need a normal planning application to demolish and rebuild vacant and redundant residential and commercial buildings if they are rebuilt as homes.
More types of commercial premises will be able to be repurposed without planning.
So a building used for retail could be able to be permanently used as a café or office without requiring a planning application and local authority approval.
Pubs, libraries, village shops and other types of uses essential to the lifeblood of communities will not be covered by these flexibilities.
Under the reforms property owners would also be able to build additional space above their properties via a fast track approval process, subject to neighbour consultation.
Johnson said the changes to the law, would both support the high street revival by allowing empty commercial properties to be quickly repurposed and reduce the pressure to build on green field land by making brownfield development easier.
Developers will still need to adhere to high standards and regulations, just without the unnecessary red tape.
