WORK CONTINUES AS WE EXPLORE A NEW VISION FOR CHAPELTOWN

A JOINT STATEMENT FROM LEEDS CITY COUNCIL, NSCD, UNITY HOMES & ENTERPRISE AND RJC DANCE Friday 26th May 2023, 2:54pm

Leeds City Council and a group of local Chapeltown organisations comprising Unity Homes and Enterprise, Northern School of Contemporary Dance and RJC Dance are exploring the possibility of redeveloping land and property adjacent to the Mandela Centre.

The partners are strongly committed to providing opportunities for people in one of the most ethnically and economically diverse areas of the city, as well as working with local communities to develop services that strengthen social cohesion, increase a sense of neighbourhood ownership and aid regeneration.

The first stage in this process has been to conduct a community consultation, and Armstrong Cameron - a local business with many years’ experience conducting such exercises, was appointed to deliver this task. The consultation is still underway and has included a survey along with focus groups and conversations with key stakeholders. This consultation, which is ongoing, was widely publicised and accessible to all.

To be clear, Armstrong Cameron has been commissioned by the partners and has no role in deciding whether or not any development proceeds. As partners we condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the tactics and language recently employed by some individuals to misrepresent Armstrong Cameron’s role in this process.

As the outcomes of the community consultation are collated, we will, as a partnership, communicate these widely. In the meantime, please contact any of the partners directly if you would like further information.

Each of the local partners share an unbreakable commitment to Chapeltown and the wellbeing of its communities.