Busy Leeds city centre street to shut in January for major £250,000 revamp

One of the busiest night spots in Leeds city centre will undergo a major transformation in the new year.

The lower end of Merrion Street will shut on January 3 for essential works including resurfacing with new materials along with the installation of security bollards and the 24-hour pedestrianisation of the street. Leeds City Council states that the work which will cost around £250,000 to enhance the space and improve safety will end in March.

The Merrion Street project is the latest in a series of recent improvement schemes in some of the city’s key night life areas.The improvement scheme include Greek Street’s transformation in 2020. The popular street had new level surface of granite paving, new feature lighting, CCTV and a vehicle access control system.

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New Briggate also benefitted from the project and was transformed to a new traffic-free space including new trees, benches, ‘street café’ seating and the introduction of a new street-food trading pitch.

Other city centre streets including Briggate and Lands Lane have also seen the installation of remotely controlled, lowerable bollards as part of a city-wide, hi-tech system designed to stop unauthorised vehicles, a spokesperson from the authority added.

Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for infrastructure and climate, said: “Merrion Street is one of the city’s busiest and most popular night spots and is home to a number of businesses which make a significant contribution to the local economy.

“It’s good to see that this thriving part of Leeds will be getting 2023 off to a great start with some important improvements that will benefit both those businesses and their customers.

“Working with partners in the sector, we’ve undertaken a number of enhancement and security projects which will ensure people can enjoy their night out in a modern, vibrant and safe setting.”

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