There is no intention to close Armley Mills nor is there any intention for the owners of Cardigan Fields, X Leisure to redevelop the site contrary to the YEP report on September 28.
I am disappointed but sadly not surprised to see that the local Labour Parliamentary candidate has further recycled this misinformation without understanding the full facts.
While X Leisure has indeed been in contact with the council to present th
eir proposals for the final development stages of Cardigan Fields Leisure Park this was for discussion only. They have aspirations to improve the image of the complex and turn the aspect of the development towards the waterfront and in so doing, improve the links to Armley Mills and across the Valley. This is all.
Secondly, there has been a lot of work done by council officers to find ways of developing a sustainable future for a revitalised museum.
The initial Jacobs study which has wrongly been referred to as 'secret' was funded and led by the West Leeds Regeneration team and the results of this were reported back to the West Leeds Gateway Board. This study looked at three options – minor, moderate and major change. These options were tested as part of the West Leeds Gateway Public Participation and reported to Inner West Leeds Area Committee on February 7, 2008. This committee is chaired by and comprises of local ward councillors.
Report
The report was further tabled at the West Leeds Gateway Regeneration Board on March 4, 2008.
The consultation led to a specific recommendation that a framework be developed to secure the future of Armley Mills, not close it.
It is clear to everyone that Armley Mills needs significant investment to modernise its approach. The current wider study has allowed for an audit of artefacts to define space requirements to assist in attempts to update its approach and broaden its appeal.
Coun John Procter, Executive Board Member for Leisure
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