Construction milestone for Leeds City College’s new £60m Quarry Hill Campus

Work on Leeds City College’s Quarry Hill Campus development has reached a new milestone.

The second of two 40-metre high tower cranes that have dominated the skyline above the scheme were removed recently in a complex operation lasting 10 hours.

The removal was overseen by main contractor Wates Construction Ltd. It marked the completion of exterior building works on the £60m development, which will house two schools for the college.

The focus will now shift to fitting out the interiors and completing the access works and landscaping.

The campus will serve as a new home for the School of Social Science and School of Creative Arts, housing state-of-the-art facilities including a 200-seat theatre, photography and recording studios, science labs, outdoor working areas and a therapy room.

Up to 3,000 students will be based at the campus from Summer 2019.

Michael Diaz, the college’s director of capital projects, said: “With the removal of the two cranes from site, we’re now working flat out with our contractor and subcontractors to complete the last elements of the project and are fitting out the building ready for the 2019/20 academic year.

“The college has a vision to create inspiring spaces for its students, and this is our most prestigious campus to date, which will play a crucial role in meeting the skills needs of the region and the surrounding areas.”

The Quarry Hill Campus has received substantial backing through a grant from the Leeds City Region Growth Deal, jointly delivered by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

It is part of a wider regeneration plan for the area that includes £300m of investment in creative, cultural, academic, residential and commercial space.

Speaking further, Michael said: “The Regional Growth Deal has been crucial in allowing us to progress our plans and help develop new, sector-leading facilities.”

Wates Construction North MD Paul Dodsworth commented: “The crane removal at Leeds City College brings to fruition a comprehensive build programme in what is a particularly tight site footprint.

“The project team at the new Quarry Hill Campus continue to do an excellent job on this exceptional development and we look forward to the next phase of our work with the college as we near project completion next year.”