Peter Lowy urges faster Elland Road tram to spark West Yorkshire mass transit | OneFootball

Leeds United director Peter Lowy has urged faster delivery of a tram to Elland Road, saying an early win could kick-start West Yorkshire’s mass transit and regeneration around the ground. According to yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk, he wants a city centre to White Rose Shopping Centre link treated as a discrete starter.

He said the Elland Road link could be a Phase 1A. Official Phase 1 covers Bradford to Leeds and south Leeds to the city centre, with a business case due to the Department for Transport later this year and opening targeted for the late 2030s.

Work has begun to expand Elland Road to 53,000 seats. Lowy said wider plans for 2,500 homes, offices, a hotel, a convention centre and a neighbourhood shopping centre could be delivered within a decade, dependent on the tram.

The 67-year-old, whose firm helped regenerate the London Olympic Village area, said he is not prepared to wait until 2035. He added that quicker government cooperation would let development begin sooner.

Lowy argued light rail is essential and would draw strong demand, citing 50,000 crowds for 19 or 20 matches and at least one million trips a year. He said starting with a simple, discrete project could build momentum for tougher corridors.

Leeds United’s development partner, the Lowy Family Group, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Leeds City Council and Tracy Brabin’s West Yorkshire Combined Authority at UKREiiF. Brabin said Keir Starmer recently backed the tram and called the current slowness ridiculous, adding there is political support to deliver if processes become more dynamic.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk