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Leeds Innovation Arc
A research and health district built around institutions that do not relocate.
Rather than a single development site, the Arc is a network of connected innovation neighbourhoods, each built around an existing anchor: the hospital, the university campuses and the West End commercial district. Those anchors are already in place and already employing thousands of people. What the Arc adds is a plan to link them, build between them and draw new health tech and research businesses into the gaps.
Leeds City Council has adopted a supplementary planning document specifically for the Arc, setting out how the district will benefit from improved connectivity, guiding future development and supporting the restoration of key heritage buildings. West Yorkshire is also home to the country's third Investment Zone, a £160 million programme focused on health tech and digital tech, with the Arc as its primary beneficiary.
The employment base inside the district is unusually concentrated. Leeds Teaching Hospitals is one of the largest teaching hospital trusts in the UK. The University of Leeds is a Russell Group institution with Nexus, its innovation hub, already home to a growing cluster of health tech and life sciences businesses. Leeds Beckett's City Campus sits directly alongside. These are employers and institutions that do not move, and the rental demand they generate renews rather than cycles. View our Leeds page for further insights into the wider Leeds market, or download our free Leeds property investment guide.
Leeds Innovation Village moves from masterplan to delivery
The Innovation Village on the Leeds General Infirmary site is the flagship neighbourhood within the Arc. Leeds Teaching Hospitals has set out a scheme encompassing more than 2.2 million square feet of development, up to 4,000 new jobs and over 500 new homes, with a projected £13 billion contribution to West Yorkshire.
The Grade II* listed Old Medical School is the first phase. Scarborough Group International acquired the 75,000 square foot building in May 2026 and is converting it into a health tech innovation hub with co-working space, laboratories and event areas, designed by Leeds architect AHR, the practice behind Nexus.
Transport is the longer-term piece. Route options for the first phase of the West Yorkshire mass transit network run close to the LGI and the Arc's institutions, though the scheme is still in development with no fixed delivery date.
Where employment growth meets constrained residential supply.
The Arc is being built as a commercial, clinical and academic district first. The Innovation Village alone sets out more than 2.2 million square feet of development against just over 500 new homes, and that ratio holds across the wider Arc. The jobs are being created inside the district. The homes, for the most part, are not, so workers will look to the surrounding city centre stock.
They'll be looking into a tight market. Savills reports that Leeds has the lowest prime office supply of the UK's Big Six regional cities, with around 500,000 square feet of live occupier requirements and 9% forecast rental growth over three years. Three universities sit inside or alongside the Arc, and the employers clustering around them give graduates a reason to stay, turning short-term student tenancies into longer professional ones.
On entry pricing, LS2 covers the eastern Arc and university quarter, showing gross yields around 6.2% against a median price of £165,250. Gross figures exclude management, maintenance and voids. For context, average Leeds private rent reached £1,145 in August 2026, up 4.2% year on year, against £1,400 UK-wide.
The One Residence
With little new residential stock planned inside the Arc itself, investors looking for Leeds exposure now need to look to the surrounding city centre. The One Residence is a 12-storey development of 125 apartments on Manor Mills Road in Holbeck, part of the South Bank regeneration area. Prices start from £190,000, short-term lets are approved, and apartments can be reserved for £5,000, with a 10% deposit and nothing further to pay until completion.
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Leeds investment with a trusted partner
Elite Realty Invest has 25+ years of combined industry experience and over 500 5-star reviews on Trustpilot alone, sourcing high-yield investment property across Leeds and the wider UK, including off-market opportunities not available on the open market. Whether you're a first-time investor or building an established portfolio, our team provides full support from property sourcing through to legals, furnishing and ongoing management.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Innovation Arc covers around 150 hectares to the west of Leeds city centre, formed as a series of connected neighbourhoods around Leeds General Infirmary, the University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Arts University and the West End commercial district.
It is Leeds City Council's strategy to create a research and innovation district west of the city centre, with its own supplementary planning document and backing from the £160 million West Yorkshire Investment Zone, the country's third. The focus is health innovation, life sciences and digital technology.
The Arc combines tenant demand anchored to major institutional employers with residential supply that has lagged well behind. The Innovation Village alone plans more than 2.2 million square feet of development against just over 500 homes, and the workforce that creates will need somewhere to live nearby.
The Innovation Village at Leeds General Infirmary is the flagship neighbourhood. Its first phase is the Grade II* listed Old Medical School, acquired by Scarborough Group International in May 2026 and being converted into a 75,000 square foot health tech innovation hub. Nexus at the University of Leeds is already operating as an innovation hub within the district.
We currently offer two Leeds developments. The One Residence is an off-plan scheme of 125 apartments in Holbeck on the South Bank, priced from £190,000 with short-term lets approved. Oval Gardens is a completed development, with the last remaining one-bedroom apartments available from £154,950 as a key-ready option for cash buyers. We also source residential investment property and off-market opportunities across Leeds, and our team can advise on which fits your strategy.
The tenant base is a mix of NHS clinical and administrative staff, university and research employees, health tech and digital workers, postgraduate students and graduates staying in the city after study. This mix supports both conventional buy-to-let and short-term letting strategies.
Three universities sit inside or directly alongside the Arc: the University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett and Leeds Arts University. Elite Realty can advise on both student accommodation and residential stock that appeals to postgraduates and young professionals.
Yes. There is nothing preventing overseas clients from investing in Leeds property. We provide comprehensive support for international investors and full assistance throughout the process.
Elite Realty offers full end-to-end support: property sourcing, contract and legal management, furniture sourcing, ongoing property management and financing options.
