Clarence Dock has long befuddled the population of Leeds and had planners and developers scratching their heads for a solution to this much maligned development. Allied London think they have the answer and Leanne Buchan was dispatched to find it out.
I feel I should declare my interest up front. I spent more than five years of my life working on the Holbeck Urban Village project and grew to believe in my own marketing (always a sign you should leave a project). Since the funding stopped this area has continued to develop dispite difficult times. More importantly a recent string of lettings, including the prestigious Leeds brand agency Elmwood, suggest that the area is achieving its vision.
It was always intended to be a ‘creative and digital quarter’ for the city so I was appalled, frustrated and more than a little confused when recent news of Allied London’s takeover of Clarence Dock was announced. The press coverage hailed the arrival of a new ‘creative and digital hub’ for the city. What was the point in that I wondered? Surely we’ve already got one? Are businesses just expected to move because it’s the newest show in town? And what would happen to my beloved Holbeck Urban Village if all the cool kids left?
I went along to the press event expecting to come away feeling a bit peeved, very frustrated and to be honest a bit deflated that the best we could expect was what an ill-conceived idea that ignored what Leeds already has.
As I entered I was surprised to see Dock Street Market and Laynes Espresso offering up independent refreshment. This set the tone for their plans. CEO of Allied London Mike Ingall spoke about how Clarence Dock was a ghost town. That its name was synonymous with failure. That the feeling of isolation at the development wasn’t so much about connection to the city centre as a lack of any reason to visit the place – there’s nothing there, why would you bother?
To be fair he has a point. The Royal Armouries are great but they are a tourist attraction and your average person of Leeds has probably been but won’t be going week in week out. There’s the casino but if that takes you there on a weekly basis you should probably start to seek help for that. So that sums up the cultural offering. The only shop still standing seems to be All Saints and the food offering is Pizza Express. The retail idea was, in my humble opinion, always doomed for failure. Why on earth would I walk for 15 minutes to visit a small percentage of the same shops I can get in the city centre then eat at a chain, also available in the city centre?
So what is Allied London going to do about this feeling of isolation and lack of activity? Retail, restaurants, cultural space and work space. Obviously.
I say obviously not to be facetious, but because it is obvious. The buildings already exist and the bare bones are already there. What Allied London are suggesting is that the space is used more sensibly. That there is some thought given to who these retailers could be and which restaurants are appropriate, hence the independent approach to refreshments. Their plans won’t set the world alight and have planners from other cities flocking to see how it’s done. They are sensible, achievable and safe.
On the question of a creative and digital hub which had bothered me so much, I was reassured. Mike Ingall was dismissive to the point of being blunt, “we are not creating a creative and digital hub, I don’t even know what one of them is.” He assured the room that was not what they had said, that it was workspace not offices and that the workspace would be creative. That didn’t mean that creative agencies would be the target, simply that the approach to the workspace was to be creative.
Yes the approach could be described as ‘vanilla’ by some but there was a lot to like in the plans put forward. A shrewd approach to which units should be given over to food and drink (those with best access to the water and sunlight). A reconfiguration of existing spaces to best effect. Doing away with some of the brutal concrete littering the public spaces and introducing grass and landscaping. Talk of creating a place and a destination as opposed to a development. Talk of long term commitment and listening to people. Talk of not being driven entirely by money and considering ideas that enhanced the space not just bring revenue. Talk of a ‘cultural black box’ that could be used by anyone from travelling theatres to exhibitions and public events with an ever changing programme of activity. Talk of tearing up the square in front of the armouries and creating a games bunker where people can play Call of Duty after legging it round the museum. Talk of independent retailers being important.
The cynics in the room reminded me that there was a lot of talk. They were quick to remind me that cultural spaces cost money to rent and run so realistically who will be able to access that space? Not the locals they said. Independent retail all sounds great and trendy and cool, but independent retailers need cheap space, will the space at New Dock, as it is to be rebranded, be affordable? A games bunker sounds like a nice, quirky idea but who owns that land? Isn’t it Royal Armouries? Are they signed up to your vision? Apparently the re-imagining of the area will be completed by 2014. They can’t see that happening!
In fairness to Mike he answered the questions honestly. This wasn’t a presentation about the definitive solution to this area. It’s a framework looking at what can realistically be done with what they have.
Yes there are lots of unanswered questions but my view was more positive than most. I’ve worked on projects like this and come to understand that the expectations of the public are generally unrealistic. Life costs money, people have to pay bills including developers and landowners. The rents may not be what you would like them to be, the cost of hiring a space might be more expensive than you’d hoped for and the plans may lack ambition. But the Clarence Dock area will be given another chance by a company who seems to have a pragmatic approach and a proven track record.
I fully expect to see a stream of negativity below this and other posts on the subject. Whether it’s the cynics who think it won’t work or those whinging from the side lines about a lack of ambition.
But for me it’s a start, lets see where it goes. You never know we might just get a little corner of the city that’s worth a visit.
Given the cutbacks Royal Armouries have had, I’d imagine they’d be quite keen to sell off a bit of land to a new development 🙂
But what about transport? How will anyone get there?
walking is an option… people think its miles out of the city centre but it really isn’t. better signposting and perhaps a more direct route with the loss of Tetleys will help
Love your irony Sean. It’s amazing how the Armouries is considered an out of town development when it’s part of the city centre. It’s definately a myth they have to overcome.
It’s part of wider issue with too many Loiners being so darn functional in their view of the city centre. I guess that’s partly driven by the city planners of the 60’s & 70’s essentially dismantling the urban structures around what’s called the Prime Shopping Quarter. Step out of the pedestrianised zone on a busy day and you find ridiculously quiet areas which really shouldn’t be.
The New Dock people know the long term will be fine when John Thorp’s so-called urban dentistry leads to urban linkages between the dock and PSQ.
In the short term they need to come up with a buzz to get people to linger after a visit to the Armouries. The square I’ve always thought is key as well as creating animation around the actual dock. Most important is creating animation along the river walk from the PSQ. Hansel needs some crumbs.
They also need to make it centre for local people. Not just those in the immediate area but also the locality like Hunslet and Richmond Hill. Why not sell car park to a supermarket? They could take over the lower level or two and offer free parking above for all. This may even attract the functional who don’t understand it’s a 10 minute walk from the PSQ.
Leanne – Great article. One of things I’ve read in other places that 2014 will be when a few things have been completed rather than the full monty. Also, can’t believe creative and digital types can be against this. The place is already built. If they can get new technologists in then that will only help developments in HUV secure finance. Employment in technology is at the tipping point.
Hi guys, thanks for the comments.
I don’t think ‘creative & digital types’ would be against new developments, just that they shouldn’t always be the target audience for new things. Just feels a bit like whenever the question of who is it for arises the go-to answer is always the same. In fairness to Allied London they’d obviously been mis-quoted but my main issue was with the willingness of people to latch on to something new whilst forgetting what we already have.
I think both (and more) can and should co-exist but don’t reinvent what we already have. Push to create something new and fill a gap however niche.
Misquoted? If we’re to believe Mr Ingall, all that Allied London told the Council (when they were briefing them about the plans last month) was that they were going to have a creative approach to workspace in the re-configured New Dock.
And then the Council – the source for the so-called “misquote” – somehow interpreted this to mean that Allied London was proposing to create “a new office hub for digital and creative industries”?
Pull the other one, guys.
More likely a bit of creative backpedalling from Allied London after the hub idea was greeted with the predictable reaction of “oh no, not another one”.
Mis-quote or back pedal it amounts to the same – it’s not another creative hub making a play for the same market. The story here isn’t about a change of mind, for me that’s an irrelevant detail. The story for me is about an approach to Clarence Dock that takes into account what’s around it and the lessons that the city has already learnt from what has gone before.
I don’t think I’m disagreeing with you, but the story is about how Allied London – with the help of the Council and neighbours like the Armouries – can make money out of the Dock area. And if their idea of how to achieve that success changes from one month to the next, that’s part of the story too.
That 15 minute walk is getting bigger every year.
The New Trinity and Eastgate developments are designed to keep people inside them, they will also have that newness factor. They along with Leeds Arena will pull people to the north of the City Centre.
All of the developments will be competing with the increase in online shopping and peoples reluctance to get off the sofa, let alone out of the shopping mall.
It’s a shame that the Royal Armouries is getting smaller due to funding cuts, but The Dock (That’s what i assume it will be called in a few years) needs more destination attractions.
How about a Swimming Pool? Permanent Circus? Ice Skating Rink? or an original idea?
Love the idea of a city centre swimming (‘fun’) pool or an Ice Skating Rink. These are facilities that would bring locals and tourists alike into the city centre. I think it’s time for planners to get back to basics and create attractive, fun spaces for all ages to enjoy with lots of flowers and green space. Something like the Rheged Centre in the Lake District would be good!
Swimming pool, now there’s an idea. If they developed something along the lines of Xscape then they may finally breathe some life into the place.
I don’t think there’s enough retail in Leeds maybe we could knock down the Town Hall make it into another White Rose centre. Oh and a new city centre swimming pool, but isn’t there one in Leeds already … oh no we demolished that. And of course Leeds is just the city centre anything outside the centre, well to be blunt, that can just rot.
Trinity, Eastgate, New Dock, the Arena – leisure and shopping hurrah that’ll pull us all out of recession. At least we can ice skate to our doom after we’ve maxed our credit cards out at Primark.
I totally agree with the view of increasing the attractions there. Other than residents the main reason people visit Clarence Dock is for the Royal Armories, lets build on that.
Leeds is lucky to have this significant national attraction which people travel into Leeds to visit. But after they have spend a few hours looking around there needs to be something else to keep them in the area. So more family friendly attractions would be great. Swimming pool, ice rink, skate park, jungle jim, circus, the options are endless. This will also make the center of Leeds a much more attractive place to go for families.
Businesses will only move there if it offers something other areas of the city don’t. And with the excess of empty offices all over the city the only thing that will make it attractive to them is if the rent is cheap.
What I don’t think has been mentioned (unless I’ve missed it?) is the significant number of people who live in and around Clarence Dock. Talk seems to have focused on attracting people from the city centre and visitors to the area to hang around longer. This seems flawed to me. Going back to @mrajpalmer’s point about Trinity, Eastgate and the Arena – surely it’s obvious that there is a finite number of people to make these areas busy without leaving others empty to decline and degrade. Not to mention the limitations of ‘Leeds retail offer’.
It would make sense to me to provide shops and facilities for local residents and workers to create a real living neighbourhood which is frequented by people naturally at all times rather than just visitors for events and at weekends, because otherwise at best the Dock will always feel little bit empty and a little bit fake, no matter how pretty it looks.
I wrote this the last time we welcomed the regeneration of Clarence Dock. http://realisedevelopment.net/2010/02/the-failing-policy-of-economic-cleansing/
Leeds has never really got the waterway to work.
If you go somewhere like Bristol, the harbour area is lively and full of stuff to see and do, places to eat and so on. It’s a nice place to be even on grey days, and enough to keep you interested for hours.
Unfortunately Leeds has capitulated to private money a little too much, with development right up to the waterline in some cases, and the limited public domain around the edges is disjointed and disfunctional. Even basic no-brainer stuff like fixing the appalling surface of the canal towpath running out to the west is overlooked, something which might funnel more people into the waterside area. Damage done by the Island Wharf development was never put right, wealthy developers never seem to be held to account (see also the state of Wellington St & Boar Lane, surface wrecked by development traffic).
For me, allowing as much development as they did at Granary Wharf was the final throwing in of the towel. A large, south facing plaza with a waterfront and small dock, immediately next to the station and at the gateway to Holbeck which has massive potential, and they go and stick a bloody great tower in the middle of it, casting shadow over much of the area. It should have been a cobbled square, with businesses spilling out of the railway arches into the sun, and instead it feels like the carpark of a Premier Inn. Hopeless.
I just hope eventually something good can happen on the ASDA HQ site, given rumours they could skulk away from that spot at some time in the future.
For Clarence Dock, I think it should perhaps for now stay focused on residential as it’s still a bit too far out on a limb. The waterfront could be improved, especially stretching out to and including Hunslet Mills, but it’ll take time to reorientate residential development into something profitable enough to make this happen.
Looking further into the future, in about 2030 Leeds is going to need somewhere to put these long trains that head up to the city on HS2. City Station is unlikely to be able to accommodate them alongside existing traffic. Of course, by 2030 Crown Point is going to look very tired indeed, and is the site of a rail goods yard with access from the Midland main line. Straight over the road is the relatively central Tetley site, a not unreasonable distance from the existing station. Don’t be surprised if HS2 lands there.
Hey all, some interesting reading ,and really appreciate the time and effort taken above,we realise this place is important to people, for many it is their home, please send us your email addresses and we will ensure your all invited to our events and work shops as New Dock unfolds.feel free to mail us any time, via mail web site facebook or twitter.
Sure the story is about new dock and its about allied london.before you all conclude the story before we have started visit some of our developments, brunswick, bloomsbury, spinningfields manchester,we don’t do make and go ,we develop places where people want to come and be, to stay and come back. we wanted to own clarence dock as we think we can create a great place, as simple as that. And providing we create what’s is appropriate and sustainable we create value for all stakeholders , that’s commerce that’s clever business, New Dock is an important part of the Leeds city centre community, let’s make it a vibrant sustainable integrated part of the city and react to its current isolation,its not so much about developing property its about develoing creating and maintaining a spirit and a soul within it, that way everyone wins. Let’s work together and create , but don’t give our plans a “now ” label and do not underestimate how this city could change in the new world with the initaitves to attract the new industries and by responding to technology.
Cities are where people come together to work, trade,communicate,but above all to Live,and to really live a city needs a host of different and special places within it, as evidenced by londons use of venues for London 2012, let’s do some living,and create one of those special places for the city of leeds. Look forward to seeing all of you, you have an open invite to our next event.#creatingandlivingtogether
I’m personally not sure I trust the developments of a man who is unable to spell or punctuate. Or was the above reply by a bogus person?
I’ve said it a million times….discount shopping park type thing! The place is built for it! Get the water facing restaurants on board then fill the rest with outlet stores. If they’re going to do retail it’s either that on independents but I can’t see independents affording it or the average man on the street walking down there for a quirky shop selling hand painted tea cups.
I’d love attractions too, just can’t see it happening so much. The Casino was a stupid idea. I interviewed the guys behind it when it was opening, they had this idea of it being a draw for the young and trendies, dragging them off Call Lane to blow a ton on the tables. Yeah, that’s going to happen in a recession.
At the end of the day the biggest problem (as explained by others) is the small city idea of Leeds. People just don’t leave stray further than The Light. Go to other cities and the spread for miles, distinct districts, not everything on top of eachother like Leeds. I’m well up for Trinity but so far that also sounds like same shops we already have either moving or opening up another store.
Oh, and that Games Bunker with COD games going on? Does AL really think an 18 rated war fest is suitable for a family attraction?
Ice rink, cinema, costa coffee, ikea, free parking, german market, few more ahops so reduce rents, less one way systems and more vehicular access. Offer two year free rent on shops to big firms.
Restaurant on a boat, frankie and bennys, car museum, bowling alley, go karting, go ape, some nightlife eg albert dock liverpool.
Its not hard really, they mustnt want it to work for some reason??
There’s an online survey which you are extolled to complete and win the chance of a meal for 2 at Bird in Alea Casino
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/newdocksurvey
Great ideas but let’s get moving, New Dock is a great place to live. Whatever has happened or not happened the previous agents have kept the area respectable and pretty up-market, maintaining a good, clean and safe environment. The concierge guys have always be on top of their game with regard to maintaining that and deserve a huge pat on the back for their commitment and hard work.
What we need are a few small bars, deli type shops, newsagents, arts cafe’s, cycling/running shop, etc and small businesses. Just think of the people who live there first and then look at the success stories in Leeds and build on that.
Top of the list is parking, look how the Tetley site has opened up that part of town. I bet it’s made a huge difference to the takings at The Adelphi and other businesses on Dock Street.
I’ve grown up in the middle of the two big cities in the north west, Manchester & Liverpool and spent 4 years at uni living in Liverpool city centre. Moving to Clarence dock next month, it’s like a ghost town walking round apart from the Pizza Express and Tesco the empty shells of bars and restaurants look depressing and unloved.
If I’m not mistaken Allied regenerated Spinningfields in Manchester? Now that is an interesting little find, it’s a breathe of fresh air compared to other parts of the city AND they have open air film evenings. I had a text off a mate who worked at Salford Uni asking if I wanted to meet her at Spinningfields with a blanket and nibbles for an evening with Cary Grant, now I know thats not to everyones taste but I’m 26 going on 96 and Mr Grant makes me swoon!
Then theres the Albert Dock, growing up with my first taste of a night out in Liverpool and being little and going on trips with the parents and school to the docks I have a special love of the Albert Dock (did you know it was built by French PoW’s? Nope I didn’t either till I went on a walking tour in college). During the day it buzzes with tourists and locals enjoying the Tate or the sweet shop, mostly it’s for the Beetles exhibit and for those daft enough the Duck tour… a floating bus, I had a mate at uni who worked on this and honestly sounded fun but scared me to death! Then at night its swanky bars, clubs and chain bars open their doors to a good mix of people of different tastes.
The trouble with Clarence dock in comparison with the Albert dock is the location of the bars to apartments, in Liverpool most the apartment complexes are built away from the main dock and the albert dock is big old building with thick walls. I lived above a bar in my last two years of uni, great for queue jumping but horrific for going to sleep not to forget having to swill someone elses vomit off my doorstep most mornings! At clarence dock they’re the units below most the complexes, that brings noise issues and the dodgy characters that come with selling alcohol. I don’t think having a few is a bad idea, but the calls is already well established and know to those outside the city as the places to go, its the Print Works of Manchester and Mathew St of Liverpool.
The empty sad looking units need a kickstart into something for the residents, my days it was hard trying to find a place to live there is certainly demand for it as a place to live. We’d arrange a viewing a few days in advance, book the day off then get a call half way across theM62 to say “sorry the property is now under application”. Brilliant! Sorry, getting a bit of 7 months flat hunting rage out. If the units were rented out at a decent price for deli’s or cheap yummy quick eats like Salt Dog Slims hot dog & stein bar in Liverpool or Almost Famous in Manchester (except thats just had a nasty fire) I know i’d been there more often than I should. And once they become popular the bars can join in the fun and it can start to build itself a new reputation as something other than a ghost town/failure.
Hello
Well its now May 2015 and what I have observed is a big Company who are stuck for Ideas as Clarence Dock is in a building site limbo.
Its real sad though because Allied London have provided the Boat Taxis which are great and some fabulous events.
My concern is that only part time events and a full time building site will not improve the mainly low foot fall that the dock experiences other than residents and workers in the area.
The word of mouth that Allied london is creating at the moment is logically going to be poor when it comes to the aesthetic regeneration of the dock and there is a constant reminder of the crash for any prospective businesses because there has been no attempt to cover the windows of the failed businesses which show an absolute mess inside many of them including the closed Alea casino.
Work is supposed to continue tomorrow 11 May 15 on the boulevard.
In my opinion there needs to be normal village businesses such as Laundrette Dry cleaners Takeaways Fruit and Veg bakers and butchers maybe all in one, etc.
I believe that the main Clarence Dock building should be a flagship building with a restaurant wine bar set up and ran by Allied london, and then leased out as a going concern. I hope this well deserved area takes off again as its present businesses and display of boats are really nice. good luck Allied London. Mr Harris