Leeds City Council has welcomed confirmation of £15m in central government funding for two major cultural projects.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has committed £10m to help breathe fresh life into Holbeck’s historic Temple Works building, paving the way for it to become the home of a new British Library North.
A further £5m in funding has been confirmed in support of plans to create a National Poetry Centre at the landmark Trinity St David’s Church on Woodhouse Lane.
Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “The British Library North project aims to create a world-class space for learning, research, exhibitions and events that would unlock the huge potential of Temple Works and boost the ongoing regeneration of the wider Holbeck and South Bank areas.
“It is therefore really welcome news that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has confirmed that, following a consultation, this £10m of funding is now in place to support the process of bringing the Temple Works building into public ownership and back into use.
“We have worked hard in recent months with partners, including the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Homes England and the British Library itself, to make the case for this funding.
“Together we were able to emphasise the importance of the scheme and the economic and social benefits it would bring to Leeds, West Yorkshire and the North, not least through engagement and connections with local communities.
“We were very pleased to welcome the Deputy Prime Minister to Temple Works last week so she could see first-hand what this remarkable heritage asset is all about.
“We will now continue to work alongside partners on detailed plans for the full funding, design and development of a project that remains a complex and challenging undertaking, but one that offers a major regeneration opportunity for both Temple Works and the surrounding area.
“The council also welcomes today’s confirmation that £5m in funding for Leeds’s proposed National Poetry Centre is now in place.
“We were pleased to have the opportunity, during the MHCLG consultation, to add our voice to the widespread support for this project, which is being led by the National Poetry Centre Charitable Trust with the University of Leeds and poet laureate Simon Armitage.”
