Major delivery milestone for Morley Town Deal as the first spades hit the ground in Hembrigg and Dartmouth parks.

Funded through a £24.3m grant from the government’s Towns Fund, the works are a culmination of over two years of design, planning, and public consultations led by Leeds City Council and the Morley Town Deal board and follow a complete analysis of each park in Morley by delivery partner, Groundwork Yorkshire.  

The improvements to Hembrigg Park will focus on play, health, and recreational facilities, while work in Dartmouth Park will add additional seating and new planting. Work to Improve Dartmouth Park’s Botanical Gardens is planned in a later phase of development, further to additional public consultation. Each park will also see general improvements in the visitor experience. The work in both parks is being delivered by Leeds City Council parks and countryside service and Groundwork Yorkshire and is expected to be completed by Spring 2023. 

The £700,000 investment into Hembrigg and Dartmouth parks are just two of eight Morley parks scheduled for redevelopment as a part of the Morley Town Deal’s wider Greener and Connected programme over the next three to four years.  

Together with the redevelopment of local parks and playgrounds, the Greener and Connected programme will also deliver new and improved public spaces and improvement to public rights of way. The programme will also see significant upgrades to travel choices, especially for pedestrians and cyclists, with enhanced routes around town, improved access to existing highways, and better crossings and junctions to increase safety. 

(Watch Councillor Helen Hayden, Morley Town Deal Board Chair, Gerald Jennings, and Peter Murphey from Groundwork Yorkshire talk about the scheme in this video: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/782460241.)

Commenting, Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for infrastructure and climate, said: “I’m pleased that we are starting to deliver the Morley Town Deal by redeveloping Hembrigg and Dartmouth Parks. These two parks have provided joy to generations of people and these works will make sure that future generations can enjoy them for years to come as well.  

“Just like all work the council does, we have listened to what local people have told us is important to them. The overwhelming consensus from the people of Morley was that people wanted clean and pleasant areas to relax and exercise, as well as space for children to play and enjoy safely. These parks will embody these ideas and I cannot wait for people to start enjoying them in summer next year”

Gerald Jennings, chair of the Morley Town Deal board, said: “I’m thrilled to start delivering the tangible benefits of the Town Deal to the people of Morley so soon after the final confirmation of the funding this past September. 

“While the work in Hembrigg and Dartmouth parks marks a major delivery milestone, we still have a great deal of work to do on delivering all the other aspects of the Town Deal agenda. There are many opportunities for people in Morley to get involved, whether through attending our public consultations in early and mid-2023, joining our inclusive design panel or providing ideas and feedback on our plans via our commonplace website. I would encourage as many people to get involved as possible.” 

Together with the Greener and Connected plans, the other priorities that form the Morley Town Deal include: 

• Plans for a new technology-focused skills campus run by Leeds City College;
• The development of an Innovations Hub at White Rose Business Park; 
• 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 investment grants scheme will also be offered to businesses to invest in shop fronts and to restore historic buildings in Morley, together with supporting work to bring vacant heritage properties back into use; and
• improved pedestrian and cycle routes on Albert Road and Station Road to create a clear, safer gateway between the station and the town centre for residents and visitors.

Further information on the plans for Morley and details of how to participate in future consultations are available at: https://www.leeds.gov.uk/campaign/morley-town-deal or by visiting: https://morleytowndeal.commonplace.is/.