 The
Leeds city centre housing boom has only just
begun, with enough flats already to house
2,700 people and developments in the pipeline
to house a further 12,000. In a new report
published by the University and property developers
K W Linfoot, Rachael Unsworth from geography
asked over 150 city centre apartment dwellers
to understand what attracted them to live
there, what problems they faced, and what
might induce them to leave.
The survey found, unsurprisingly, that those
drawn to city centre living are mostly young,
well-paid professionals, who made the choice
to be close to work and to the city’s
nightlife. Over 60% are owner-occupiers, most
are middle or senior managers or own their
own business. Dr Unsworth estimates a salary
of at least £22,000 is needed to afford
the high purchase or rental costs of the city
centre.
Residents
identified the poor choice of food shopping
as the main problem with city centre living,
though nearly half also pointed to the lack
of basic healthcare facilities: there are
currently no GP surgeries in the city centre.
 City
centre living does encourage positive lifestyle
changes, as the survey found. Over half the
respondents walk to work, more than five times
the national average. The rest use bikes or
public transport, with just over a quarter
using a car, mostly as they worked outside
Leeds. Car ownership amongst city centre residents
is considerably lower than it is in Leeds
as a whole.
None of the households which responded to
the survey included children, and most respondents
cited marriage and children as the main reason
for a possible move out of the city centre.
Over half of the respondents plan to stay
in their property for over a year, with owner-occupiers
five times more likely than tenants to say
they planned to stay over two years.
“If city centre living is to be made
attractive to families, then facilities –
which could also benefit the young single
professional – need to be improved,”
said Dr Unsworth. “Lack of childcare
provision and schools, as well as the poor
food shopping and healthcare services identified
by our survey, are a major disincentive for
families. In addition, family-friendly developments
would be needed, with outdoor play areas.
This is essential if Leeds wants to attract
a wider range of people to city centre living.”
For
further information, see the press
release
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