The British Library has officially been given the green light by council bosses to redevelop its 44-acre campus at Boston Spa in West Yorkshire, which is currently home to more than three quarters of the Library’s collection of over 170 million items
In April last year, the library submitted plans to Leeds' local authority outlining its intentions to expand by building a new 28m high, 57,000 sq ft Net Zero archive building - driven by the urgent need for more space for the British Library’s growing print collection.
Now that plans have been approved, the Library can move one step closer to its dream of transforming Temple Works into a new British Library of the North.
The British Library hopes that the creation a new state-of-the-art storage facility at Boston Spa will underpin further plans to open a major new public-facing site in the centre of Leeds at Temple Works. / Image: Tim GreenThe existing British Library site at Boston Spa, pictured in the snow / Image: Wikimedia Commons
As part of the Boston Spa expansion, it will be demolishing some existing buildings on the site, formerly a Second World War munitions factory, in order to make room for a new archive that will feature a public gallery and 220km of new shelf space.
But that's not all. The library also plans to renovate its 1970s brutalist Urquhart building, by adding a cafe, restaurant and new reading room to be used by both visitors (such as local school trips) and its 500-strong team of on-site staff.
The new public viewing gallery will give school parties and other visitors an opportunity to see the vast scale and robotic technology of the Library’s ‘backstage’ operation in action for the very first time.
As for the gardens and surrounding areas, new and improved green spaces also feature in the plans - with the library keen to enhance the local biodiversity and its surrounding natural environment, replacing six old and outdated buildings with new bio diverse green spaces.
The budget for the redevelopment comes from a significant government investment that was first announced in the March 2020 budget.
Buildings at Boston Spa that are no longer in use will be removed, whilst it is hoped that the creation a new state-of-the-art storage facility will underpin further plans to open a major new public-facing site in the centre of Leeds.
A planning officer's report accompanying the decision said: "The development proposals will create a state of the art storage facility which is positive and the development with enable the British Library's continued commitment to the campus at TATE, which has wider benefits for the city of Leeds.
"The design of the proposed building appears to be well considered and is a welcomed improvement to the previous design and the existing storage building.
"The wider changes to the campus are also supported with the improvements to the green environment, public accessibility and commitment to high levels of energy efficiency being particularly positive."
A Leeds pizza takeaway has received a glowing review from popular review duo.
Edges Pizza opened up their first permanent spot in Leeds back in June this year, after making a name for themselves slinging out pizzas at multiple pop-ups across the city.
Owners Grace and Edge from Harrogate opened Edges Pizza two years ago, taking inspiration from trips to New York over the years.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Their pizzas are a love letter to the class New York slice, think thin and crispy rather than chewy and floppy. But above all else, think absolutely delicious.
And now, they've caught the attention of a major review page, with Bite Twice Food Reviews (a page with almost 300k followers) paying Edges a visit.
The food review duo of Gerry del Guercio and Paul Delany popped up in Holbeck beneath the arches to get their hands on a pizza, and the outcome is brilliant.
In the video, Bite Twice said that the pizza is 'f**cking exceptional' and up there with 'one of the best pizzas in the UK'.
Before even taking a bite, they said: "On aesthetic, I don't think anywhere in the UK is doing pizza like this".
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Then after the first bite, they go on to say: "There are very few pizzas in the UK that create this, I’m a little bit blown away".
As Londoners themselves, they go on to say that Edges is 'easily hitting with the best that we’ve got down south'.
And if that's not high praise enough, they sign off the video saying: "Leeds has got an absolute gem. I give this a stamp so hard my foot went through the pizza. Edges. Don Level."
Yorkshire-set Christmas film by Leeds director starring Richard E. Grant set to hit UK cinemas next month
Clementine Hall
A brand-new Christmas film is hitting cinemas nationwide next month - and it’s a proper Leeds success story.
Jack Spring directed his first feature film at just 19 years old and has spent the last decade carving out a career in independent film, as well as co-founding Leeds-based production company Shush Films.
His first movie, Destination: Dewsbury, was shot just down the road in - you guessed it - Dewsbury. And after moving to Leeds from Grimsby, Jack became determined to build his business from the city, putting down roots and growing his production company here.
Image: Supplied
Now, after years of working on independent projects, Jack has taken his biggest leap yet with a brand-new Christmas film, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint.
Set in Yorkshire, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint follows Aubrey Flint, a reclusive model soldier painter with a lifelong hatred of Christmas, who is sentenced to community service at Willow Lodge - a retirement home on the brink of closure.
Roped into helping with a chaotic production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Aubrey clashes with its interesting set of residents...
And the cast is about as star-studded as it gets, featuring Richard E. Grant, John Bradley, Celia Imrie, Adjoa Andoh, Sophia Di Martino, Adrian Rawlins and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.
Image: Supplied
The heartwarming festive comedy will hit cinemas nationwide on Friday 6 November - a huge milestone for a Leeds-based director and production company, taking a homegrown Yorkshire story to audiences across the country.
You just can't beat a proper wholesome British Christmas film, so you can best believe we'll be watching in the cinema, popcorn in hand.
Georgina Pellant -
6th January 2022 
