Ahhhhh! Poor Leeds. Its feeling so sad because it isn't going to have a tall skyscraper! I know we have the vile poorly built cheap looking pile of dog mess called Bridgewater Place, but that's it. (Take a close look if you don't believe me!)
Leeds proudly displayed all the plans for future skyscrapers in the Yorkshire Post etc. It looked like an exciting opportunity to me. But then, the amount of empty office space in leeds surely did not warrant this level of development. Then there are the uninspiring 'apartments' (they used to call them flats until somebody got a few bob and went all pretentious!) They are overpriced tosh. The council flats in Leeds are better built and, whilst not as pretty, will probably outlive a lot of the recently added drivel that is a blot on the Leedscape!
For those who have the misfortune of having to work in Leeds, you will know that the city comes to a standstill when it rains, snows or somebody coughs. This tiny little town may think like London but that's where the similarity ends. Yes I want a modern vibrant city, but I don't want every tiny bit of land or car park turned into another white elephant that the CT payers will have to subsidise or even fund the demolition of in the future. I want a Leeds where I can escape the rat race at lunch time and actually find somewhere to sit ffs! Somewhere that doesn't have a crane on it or over it. The area at the back of the train station was a car park before. Not pretty I admit, but was one of the areas of Leeds to create the illusion of space. You could even go and sit by the canal side in the warm weather. The area that was meant to be Lumiere would make a superb recreational area. Plant trees and replace the foundations with park benches. The demise of the scheme may be a blow to the reputation of Leeds and its public servants, but I think there are many ways in which we, the citizens can benefit, and that is by the fact that the already overcrowded roads buses and trains will be minus the plethora of hard hatted yellow vested construction men, for the time being anyway.
Leeds should consider removing some if its warts, the biggest of which is the Merrion Centre. This gilded prison has made Arnold Ziff extortionately wealthy. If the CT payers in Leeds new how much this man made from each floor per wing of Merrion House them you would know why he isn't popular with me. Every dog has its day, the Merrion Centre along with its younger sibling the St John's Centre should be raised to the ground. The offices currently in use could easily be moved to vacant office space throughout the city.
Maybe the councils public servants could use some of our money to commission the artist whose work adorned the ends of buildings around Kitson College and the Public Servants offices for decades to create the illusion of wealth, the illusion that all is well in Leeds. because, seemingly, a few tall towers would make all the difference.
MR©
