Scarborough Group International has secured planning permission from Leeds City Council for a multi-screen cinema at Thorpe Park Leeds and released new images of what it could look like when delivered next year. The proposed cinema venue of up to 50,000 sq. ft will be part of a new 300,000 sq. ft shopping and leisure complex at the 200 acre east Leeds business park.
The news comes as site owner and developer Thorpe Park Developments Limited (TPDL), a joint venture between Scarborough Group International (SGI) and Legal & General Capital (LGC), progresses apace with site preparation works which commenced in 2015 with the appointed contractor, GMI Construction.
Scarborough and Legal & General Capital joined forces for the development of Thorpe Park Leeds in August 2015, with LGC becoming a 50:50 partner in the project and also committing to provide further funding for the development works, a total anticipated investment of £162 million.
Part of the Thorpe Park Leeds site is also allocated for 300 new homes and a 113-acre public park with sports facilities.
With the letting of much of the retail and leisure accommodation already under negotiation, TPDL will shortly commence building work on 40,000 sq. ft. of prime office accommodation, which is due for completion in Autumn 2016. The remainder of Thorpe Park Leeds’ 935,000 sq. ft. of planning permission for office space will be developed out in pre-let and speculative phases.
Thorpe Park Leeds will also deliver the first section of the ‘East Leeds Orbital Road’, a key piece of infrastructure connecting north and east Leeds to Junction 46 of the M1. This road will unlock land for the construction of 7,000 new homes in the East Leeds area, land that is either already allocated in the Local Plan or which is ‘brownfield’.
The development is expected to create over 13,000 jobs, including nearly 4000 local employment opportunities for the Leeds city region.
Mark Jackson of Scarborough Group International, commented:
“We are delighted to secure planning permission for the cinema which is an important part of the mix of shopping and leisure uses at Thorpe Park Leeds, serving the growing business and residential community.
“We are already in discussion with cinema operators which have expressed an interest in the project.
“Thorpe Park Leeds is founded on four key values; Community, Health and Wellbeing, Connection and Enterprise. We are pleased to bring forward phase two which is transformational for east Leeds, creating a true sense of place where business can thrive in a well-supported environment.”
Thorpe Park Leeds is already an important business location for both Leeds and the North of England, located just six miles east of Leeds City Centre, with its own dedicated access off junction 46 of the M1. Among the 60 occupiers of the existing office space are IBM, National Grid, GE Capital, Vinci, BAM and United Utilities.
