Greenhouse donation fuels botanical garden hopes

A property developer has supported moves to create a city’s first botanical garden for a century.

Pickard Properties has donated a seven-metre greenhouse to University of Leeds.

The structure will be added to a School of Biology project focused on developing a teaching and wellness space, with further plans including its potential use as a so-called living lab to help tackle food security and climate change challenges.

However, bosses also hope to make the greenhouse “the epicentre” of a university botanic garden, which would revive such a space in the city following the closure of the short-lived Leeds Zoological & Botanical Gardens in the mid-19th century.

The donation comes as Leeds-based Pickard Properties revamps the Moor Grange building into apartments on the Spinning Acres development.

Denise Mcardle, strategic director at Pickard Properties, said: “We are delighted to donate the greenhouse to Leeds University and provide it with a new chapter in its long history. 

“Spinning Acres has, for around 100 years, had strong links with the university and it’s great they will continue with the creation of a living lab and, hopefully, a new botanical garden for the city.”

Seb Stroud, teaching fellow at University of Leeds, added: “This greenhouse will not only facilitate research and teaching, but it’s hoped it will also be the heart of a larger initiative to promote environmental awareness, collaboration and wellbeing across our campus.” 

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