Cole Waterhouse has entered into a £70m joint venture with Domis to kick off the first phase of its 1,000-home development.
Located on the eastern edge of Leeds City Centre, Leeds Urban Village (also known as LuV) is the brainchild of Tonia Investments and Cole Waterhouse.
Phase one has commenced and will see 239 BTR homes being built followed by a further 239 BTR homes as well as 113 affordable homes in 2026.
Building work on site has started and is expected to finish in 2028.
Image: Supplied
Overall, Leeds Urban Village will comprise of 1,012 residential apartments across five towers ranging from 13 to 23 storeys.
Leeds Urban Village will feature up to 18,000 sq ft of ground-floor commercial and residential amenity space, activating the street level with cafés, retail, co-working, and lifestyle uses.
The development is expected to create circa 600 jobs during the construction phase and up to 313 additional jobs once built.
Image: Supplied
Simon Gallanders, Managing Director at Cole Waterhouse commented: “Furthering our excellent partnership with Domis enables us to undertake this exciting project with Eldridge.
"We are also most grateful to WYCA for their support. This is our first equity Joint Venture with the professional team at Domis and we are all excited to bring forward the first phase of LuV, which will be one of the catalysts for the further regeneration of this part of Leeds, demonstrating our confidence in delivering much needed housing in this key part of the city.”
Image: Supplied
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Leeds has been rightly recognised as a national growth opportunity, and this new development will see hundreds of homes built for local families, backed by our multimillion-pound Brownfield Housing Fund.
“By investing in the new homes our region needs, we’re putting a safe and secure roof over people’s heads, driving the regeneration of our towns and cities, and building a brighter West Yorkshire that works for all.”
Otley has announced its intention to bid to become UK Town of Culture 2028.
Entering into the national competition launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the West Yorkshire town is hoping to be the first-ever town to claim the title.
The Town of Culture competition invites towns across the UK to showcase their cultural story and develop ambitious programmes that celebrate local heritage, creativity, and communities.
The winning town receives a £3 million grant from the Government to deliver a major year-long cultural programme in 2028 designed to boost civic pride, attract visitors, and provide everyone with the opportunity to participate in cultural activities.
Their bid is focused around the Otley 800, a year-long programme that will mark the 800th anniversary of the granting of the Royal Market Charter in 1227 and the bridge over the River Wharfe in 1228.
These two historic moments transformed Otley into the bustling market town that it is today, so it deserves to be recognised.
Work has been going on behind the scenes for the past two years, with the council and Otley BID working with residents to put plans in place for the special year.
More than 70 organisations have been involved.
Mayor of Otley Cllr Paul Carter said: “Otley has always been a town that punches above its weight. This bid is about celebrating our history, but also about investing in our future — creating opportunities for our community, raising our profile and making sure Otley continues to thrive for the next 800 years.”
The shortlist for UK Town of Culture 2028 is set to be announced later this year, with each chosen town receiving £60,000 to help deliver their full bids for the competition. Fingers crossed!
Permission granted for new ‘Corn Exchange Pavilion’ to be built in Leeds city centre
Clementine Hall
The green light has been given for a brand-new pavilion to be built outside the Corn Exchange in Leeds city centre.
Yesterday, Tuesday 31 March, the planning committee of Leeds City Council officially gave the green light to plans submitted by CX Leeds Ltd.
These include plans to build a pavilion outside the Corn Exchange, one of Leeds' most iconic city centre landmarks.
The new building will go where that rather underwhelming patch of astroturf currently lays, in front of the Cornucopia mural and next to the bus shelter.
It lies between New Market Street and Crown Street.
DEN Architecture state that the materials selected will create an intriguing single-storey structure that compliments the surrounding area.
They stated: “The scale of the building and roof form of the proposal pays tribute to the previous tram and bus shelters that once occupied the site.
"While retaining the appropriately subservient nature of any new building in close proximity to the Corn Exchange. This will also provide greater visibility of the Cornucopia Mural.
“The building has been designed following extensive and thorough analysis, with a clear understanding of the built environment and the area’s historic significance.”
It's not yet been decided upon what the building's use will be, although Leeds city council suggests it could be used for "outdoor functions, shops and cafes".
When first put forward to the council back in December 2024, the plans were met with three objections from the public.
So, what would you like to see go into this new space?
Clementine Hall -
15th December 2025 
