Temple Works Development

This afternoon in the Civic Hall there was a council Executive Board meeting. They were discussing important stuff like community centres, specialist housing for older people, home care, car parks, primary school provision and playing pitches – things that make a city a better place to live for everyone. Item 16 was a bit odd though. Under the heading Transport and the Economy it says, Temple Mill: To consider the report of the Director of City Development setting out the current status of the Grade 1 listed and at risk Temple Mill and detailing the proposals of a private sector led development proposition.

When the news broke last week of a report to the Exec Board that a private developer was pitching to take over Temple Works there was a certain amount of cynicism expressed on Facebook and Twitter. Let’s face it, developers are about as popular as a sneezing badger in a cow pasture, so inevitably there were worries that Temple Works would lose it’s radical spirit and tone and start serving £7 white wine spritzers. As Leeds Citizen remarked, It was fun while it lasted..

But I don’t think this is inevitable. There’s nothing in the report that suggests the fun has to stop, and if you ever catch me serving overpriced carbonated Chianti down at Temple Works you have my permission to hit me over the head with a shovel and toss me into the undercroft … the zombies have taken over.

Obviously I have to disclose an interest. I’m part of the Temple.Works.Leeds cultural project, which currently has the license to put of events in the building. And I’m also editor of The Culture Vulture (actually set up originally in Temple Works many years ago) and chair of the Leeds Living Streets group – so as well as having an impact on the particular Temple Works project I’m involved with the proposed redevelopment has major implications for both the cultural offer of Leeds and our public space/place making, so I’ll be watching what will happen with keen interest on both those counts.

The report to the Exec Board says the proposal should best complement existing facilities in the city, and … could add to the city’s cultural offer. This will include clarity on the potential role of the existing organisations who have a licence to operate the building.

This seems positive to me. The council have always been very supportive about the value of what goes on at Temple Works. As long as the “clarity” means that we don’t lose anything, just add and expand and improve, I don’t see any reason for cynicism. Things will just get better.

The report goes on:

dialogue would be required to better understand the views of existing organisations and communities who operate cultural activities from the building at present and how they could be involved in the proposals and maintain a presence in the city. It is proposed that the Council can help facilitate this dialogue with Citu (the developers) and the established Trust.

Although I’d hope to do more than “maintain a presence” in Leeds – which makes us sound like we have run down the curtain and gone to join the choir invisible – I think this is meant positively. Remember, this is a council document, full of phrases like “major opportunities to achieve Best Council plan objectives of promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth with particular opportunities to boost the local economy and maximise the impact of our cultural infrastructure,” so I’m going to take maintaining a presence as a rousing endorsement.

With my Culture Vulture hat on I approve totally of this next bit too: The vision also includes proposals for a public artwork commissioned from an artist of global standing.

Much recent public art in Leeds has been unspeakably provincial, trite and as cutting edge as fuzzy felt. Let’s hope this proposal means Leeds could get something genuinely world class. Time we put an end to cartoon-cute, dumb domestic beasts despoiling the streetscape – and if we can tear down the odious sheep outside Marshall’s Mill I’d be the first there with a quart of vodka and a match.

The proposal also promises the provision of new public open space, which could be amazing. Well, amazing if we get something more imaginative than marble and steel mediocrity. There’s no reason we couldn’t have something as brilliant as Bradford’s City Park for instance, and not as baleful as Bond Court …

But the most interesting sentence in the report – and the reason I think cynicism is misplaced right now – is this:

(The current occupiers of Temple Works) have articulated to the Council that they are keen that existing users and communities who have had an involvement in the existing cultural operation are involved in the business planning during the transitional period before a restoration project commences, and also to ensure that the existing knowledge and expertise of the current users can play a role in the longer term vision for the building.

What this says to me is that the current “spirit and tone” will continue to be present in an important way – not that nothing will change but that the people involved will be part of the change and have a part to play in the next stage of Temple Works.

Of course, I could be completely deluded. But the reason Temple Works has succeeded so far is down to the love and commitment and sheer sweat of the people involved. That can’t be taken for granted but it is a force to be reckoned with if we can build on it. And remember, Heritage Lottery Funding is public money; the council is pledging support with public assets too; we all have councilors who are democratically accountable. We don’t have to sit by and passively grumble and complain. If you don’t want £7 spritzers join the conversation. How do you think Temple Works should develop?