Morley gets full £24.3M Town Deal funding

The funding award comes after Leeds City Council and the Morley Town Deal Board worked on a Town Investment Plan and designed a range of schemes to deliver on key priorities identified through public consultation.

The plans include the following:

• New and improved public spaces, with planting transforming areas around the town centre. There will be key improvements at Town Square and Queen Street and significant development of local parks, playgrounds, and public rights of way.

• Significant upgrades to travel choices, especially for pedestrians and cyclists, with better access to the train station. Enhanced routes around town will improve access to existing highways, and better crossings and junctions will increase safety. Connections between the Town Centre, Morley Train Station, White Rose, and White Rose Station will also be developed.

• Plans for a White Rose Innovation Hub, which complements a new technology-focused skills campus run by Leeds City College. Both developments will provide exceptional skills training and job opportunities for residents and businesses.

• Securing Morley’s heritage buildings, with enhancements to Morley Town Hall to bring more events and activities to the town, introducing a cafe bar, better accessibility, and improving the space around the building.

• A new heritage grants scheme will also be offered to businesses to invest in shop fronts and to restore historic buildings along Queen Street, together with supporting work to bring vacant heritage properties back into use.

With full funding now confirmed, the outline plans will move to the design stage, with initial project delivery expected to start in 2023, following further public consultation. Delivery work is projected to last until 2026.