Rider in redevelopment
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• Employee-owned Yorkshire Rider has drawn up a 2150 million redevelopment plan for its Leeds base, minibus depot and adjoining sites, in a bid to preempt compulsory purchase of its land.
In a move described by Rider's boss Bill Cottham as "reluctant", the company hopes to prevent the Leeds Development Corporation from seizing the land for its own plans.
The LDC was originally formed to regenerate derelict industrial land in south Leeds and has taken all planning powers away from the city council. It has now turned its attention to the waterfront where Rid er's HQ is situated. With the LDC's co-operation, Rider developed a comprehensive plan in conjunction with adjacent landowners, and has appointed international developers to follow the LDC's brief.
The LDC has now told Rider that it wants to develop the site itself and has put a CPO on an adjacent part of the whole landholding.
We need a central depot and HQ" says Cottham, "but if anyone is to gain from redeveloping the site it should be us. Up to now we have had good co-operation from the LDC, but it looks as if they might take our ,U million site."