£1 million has been donated by the government towards the restoration project.
Temple Works is expected to push ahead with plans to restore its huge mill space as part of the British Library North project after further government investment.
Since 2009, one of Leeds' most historically significant mills has stood derelict, awaiting a much-needed restoration. After being purchased by property company CEG in 2017 for just £1, the mill has since felt the rise and fall of potential investment over the past five years.
In need of urgent repairs to return the former flax mill into a heritage rich site, over £1 million has now been donated to allow Temple Works to transform into the home of the Northern British Library.
The Grade I listed building has already received £25m of devolution money, secured by the council to support the project. According to reporting by Leeds Live, the money is held by the West Yorkshire authority. It is expected the council will draw around £5m to cover the costs of a full restoration by development partner CEG.
Previously Leeds City Council Leader, James Lewis has shown his enthusiasm for the project:
“These plans for Temple Works reflect both a sense of pride in Leeds’s past and a real determination to forge a future that benefits people in all our local communities. Temple Works is a jewel in Leeds’s heritage crown and the prospect of seeing it start a new chapter as the home of the British Library in the North is hugely exciting."
The sum of money was donated as part of a Culture Recovery Fund grant, which will allow plans to continue with the restoration project of one of Leeds' largest mills. £636,000 has come from the Heritage Stimulus Fund to go towards the roof and a further £400,000 has been donated to subsidise the costs of restoring the Counting House and its well-known Egyptian facade by Historic England's Yorkshire regional 'pot'. This will allow the rooms to become a showcase area for the British Library plans.
What was once hinted to be taken over by the likes of Burberry, Temple Works' fate has been hanging in the balance for quite some time. The designer brand pulled out of any potential deals back in 2018 and the company has since sold the 10 acres of land that they owned.
The building has finally began to secure funding from various heritage funds and £5 million from Leeds City Council. It is hoped that the project can now begin to come to life and the former flax mill can be restored into a historical place of significance for the public to view once more.
More information is expected to follow in the coming months about this exciting new project.
Feature Image- The British Library
Leeds
Leeds City Council confirms plans to repair historic Lower Kirkgate with work set to begin this month
Leeds City Council has confirmed that work to stabilise buildings on Lower Kirkgate is set to begin later this month, with repairs expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
Back in 2024, Lower Kirkgate in Leeds city centre was closed following the partial collapse of a building, leaving one of the city's oldest streets inaccessible.
Since then, the street has remained closed while plans were developed to address the structural issues affecting the buildings.
Now, almost two years after the initial incident, the council has confirmed that a contractor has been appointed to carry out the work.
The buildings are privately owned, but Leeds City Council says it will step in to carry out the stabilisation work to prevent further deterioration and protect the historic properties.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We are pleased that, following months of careful planning and preparation, we are now in a position to begin stabilising these privately owned buildings.
“A contract has been awarded for the work, which is scheduled to get under way later this month and is expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
“It should be stressed that the situation on Lower Kirkgate is not of the council's making, with the owners of the buildings allowing their condition to deteriorate over many years and then failing to take the necessary steps to address the resultant structural issues.
“By stepping in and carrying out this work itself, the council will be able to arrest the deterioration of important heritage assets on one of Leeds’s oldest streets. As always, we thank the local community for their continued patience and support.”
Further details about the work, including when the street may be able to reopen, have not yet been confirmed.
Canadian rock legends Nickelback announce Leeds gig on huge world arena tour
Clementine Hall
Nickelback announce world arena tour in support of their new album - and they're coming to Leeds.
The Canadian rockers will be bringing their biggest hits as well brand-new music to arenas around the world.
Formed in Hanna, Alberta, the band made up of Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair, have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide.
Best known for rock anthems including Rockstar, Photograph and How You Remind Me, Nickelback have built up a huge global following over the course of their career.
The upcoming tour will see the band celebrate their new album, Everything Under The Sun, and they'll be kicking off the UK leg of the tour right here in Leeds at the First Direct Bank Arena.
The tour follows their record-setting Get Rollin' world tour, and will once again take them to venues across North America, Europe, and Australia.
The group have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide, and achieved billions of streams across digital platforms.
Their new album will be released at the end of the month on Friday 30 October, so you'll have plenty of time to get to know their new tracks before they come to Leeds on Saturday 22 May 2027.
They'll be supported on the tour by Don Broco, an English four-piece featuring Rob Damiani, Simon Delaney, Tom Doyle and Matt Donnelly. Known for their genre-defying sound and dynamic approach to modern rock.
Nickelback 2027 UK Tour Dates in full
22 May - Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
24 May - London The O2
28 May - Birmingham Utility Arena
1 June - Glasgow Ovo Hydro
2 June - Manchester Co-op Live
Tickets for Nickelback at the Leeds First Direct Arena go on sale next Friday 16 October and you can get yours HERE.
Sophie Smith -
12th April 2022 
