South Bank, Leeds

South Bank covers roughly 253 hectares of former industrial land immediately south of Leeds railway station, equivalent to around 350 football pitches. Leeds City Council has pursued its regeneration for more than a decade, with the stated ambition of doubling the size of the city centre and delivering around 35,000 jobs alongside thousands of new homes.

The area takes in Holbeck, the birthplace of much of the city's nineteenth century industry, and Hunslet to the south. Over thirty listed buildings sit within its boundaries, including the Grade II listed Midland Mills and the Tetley building, and the area retains a distinct architectural character that newer city centre districts do not have. In March 2026 the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government proposed Leeds South Bank as one of seven new towns under the government's housebuilding programme, with final locations due to be confirmed before the end of 2026.

At circa 20,000 homes, it is the largest of the proposed northern sites. Each new town would deliver at least 10,000 homes with a target of at least 40% affordable housing, and the Leeds proposal is backed by £2.1 billion of local transport investment. Leeds railway station's southern entrance already opens directly onto South Bank, putting the district within a short walk of the platforms and of the city's retail and financial core. View our Leeds page for further insights into the wider Leeds market, or download our free Leeds property investment guide.

Temple Works in Holbeck is a Grade I listed former flax mill and one of the most significant industrial buildings in the country. Vacant since 2004, it is the preferred site for British Library North, a planned second city centre home for the national library outside London. The proposals would restore the building into an 8,000 square metre space for learning, research, exhibitions, events and business incubation, linked to the Library's existing collection site at Boston Spa.

The project is at an early stage. Up to £34 million of public funding has been earmarked to bring the building into public ownership through Homes England and stabilise it, with a full funding and delivery strategy to follow. Leeds City Council says the wider Temple Works scheme could unlock over 3,000 homes and more than 100,000 sq ft of commercial space.

For investors, a national cultural institution in Holbeck would give the western South Bank a draw that few regeneration areas can match, bringing visitors, events and footfall into the same neighbourhood as The One Residence.

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