Aire Park Leeds: Huge new public park set to be biggest in UK opens first phase with gardens and events space

Aire Park, a huge development under construction near the historic Tetley Brewery building, will be home to the largest new public park in the UK when it is finished next summer.

This week, the team behind the project announced that the first stage is complete - and visitors can enjoy new gardens and an events space. They said the next phase will be finished by the end of the year.

The Aire Park development is being built by Vastint UK and forms part of the South Bank regeneration, which covers the equivalent of 350 football pitches along the southern side of the River Aire.

The park itself has been designed by firm Planit and, as well as an events spaces, will include an amphitheatre, play area, fountains, cycle routes and - of course - plenty of green space.

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Phillip Porter, Principal Landscape Architect from Planit Leeds, says: “Aire Park is a perfect demonstration of our regenerative principles, designed to actively restore and enhance natural habitats within the urban landscape.

“We have worked closely with Vastint UK to take what was once a key, industrial centre that has since been abandoned, and help it blossom with a new purpose for the 21st century.”

He added: “We’re excited to see how the people of Leeds will come together to use the spaces throughout the year but also to monitor the ecological impact that will become evident as the wider park is delivered.”

The team hope that the new events space, called the Tetley Triangle, will become a sought-after destination for events.

Simon Schofield, Head of Development North at Vastint UK, says: ““We’re excited for Aire Park, Leeds’s newest mixed-use development, to become the go-to place to live, work and play in the city centre and the green space we’ve created with Planit is a huge part of what sets it apart.

“As well as reconnecting to nature through the new park, residents, office tenants and visitors will also be able to enjoy a vibrant eco-system of shops, bars and restaurants, with the refurbished Tetley building sitting at the heart of the development.”

The ongoing regeneration of the area is hoped to deliver 35,000 jobs and 8,000 new homes.

Coun James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council, said: “The provision of attractive and well-connected green spaces has been a key element of our vision for the South Bank and the city as a whole. It’s really pleasing, therefore, to see the first sections of this urban park opening.

“We very much hope that these areas will quickly become part of the fabric of life in Leeds as well as a destination of national significance.”