New Lotherton Hall pricing structure set for approval

Caption: Historic Lotherton Hall is set for a range of improvements

A revised pricing structure for visitors to enter Lotherton Hall as part of a range of improvements to the historic country house and its surrounding estate will be discussed by senior councillors in Leeds next week.

At the meeting of the executive board at Civic Hall on Wednesday 2 November, councillors will be asked to approve a new simplified pricing structure which will mean visitors pay a single price to park, visit the Edwardian country house as well as the bird garden and grounds of the popular attraction in Aberford near Leeds.

The new structure which will take effect from January 1 2012 was part of a proposal to make improvements of £160,000 to greatly enhance the visitor experience at Lotherton Hall which was initially approved by the executive board in July.

A public consultation exercise was still being undertaken with visitors, local councillors, season-ticket holders, parish councils and other community groups when that initial approval was given, and so the board will now be asked to approved a revised pricing policy which reflects the full feedback received.

The revised structure now means the price of a single adult ticket for parking and access to the house, bird garden and grounds would now be £5, compared to the current £3.70 for parking and an additional £3 to enter the house.

Entry for LEEDSCard holders and concessions will be priced at £4, with LEEDSCard Extra holders paying £3 per visit. Family season tickets offering access for a 12-month period would be £40, with LEEDSCard family season tickets priced at £32 and £24 for LEEDSCard Extra.

An off-peak charge for parking-only would be introduced at £3.70 or £15 for a season ticket, while short-stay visits to the café such as for coach trips or cyclists would be free.

Leeds City Council executive member for leisure Councillor Adam Ogilvie said:

“This new pricing structure for Lotherton Hall reflects the feedback we received and in particular the issues of access for regular visitors and families. I’d like to thank everyone who took part in the consultation and we hope these changes show that we have listened to what was being said and acted accordingly.

“We are confident that these improvements will make Lotherton Hall a full day out for visitors to see the fantastic house, the bird garden and the grounds and will help make it an even more popular attraction.”

The £160,000 improvements will see the restoration of gardens, the creation of more picnic, playground and play areas, the collection of coaches and horse-drawn carriages being put on display, improved car parking, plus a new pay and information point and more effective signage being put in place.

Other improvements will see the entrance road widened to allow traffic to enter and exit the estate the same way. The current main car park is to be relocated to the opposite side of the house from its current position, making the playground area safer and also meaning existing drainage issues can be resolved.

Lotherton Hall will also switch to being open on Mondays as well as in January and February when it is currently closed with events being held all-year round.

For more information on Lotherton Hall, visit the website at www.leeds.gov.uk/lothertonhall/


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For media enquiries please contact:
Roger Boyde, Senior communications officer,
Leeds City Council, Tel 0113 247 5472
Email: roger.boyde@leeds.gov.uk

Ambitious plan to deliver economic growth in Leeds

An ambitious plan to deliver economic growth in Leeds over the next 10 years will go before senior councillors next week.

At a meeting of Leeds City Council’s executive board on Wednesday 2 November members will be asked to approve the new ‘Economic Growth Strategy’ for the city.

The strategy focuses on seven different economic sectors in the city and identifies opportunities for growth in each.

It highlights Leeds’ unique selling points – a cost-effective location with one of the fastest growing and the youngest populations in the UK, an expanding airport, its delivery of Europe’s first, purpose built super theatre arena and Leeds’ superb quality of life. It states that these advantages are critical to protecting and strengthening the city’s competitive edge.

The seven economic sectors are: health and medical; financial and business services; low carbon manufacturing; creative, cultural and digital; retail; housing and construction; social enterprise and the voluntary and community sector.

All are shown to have strong opportunities for progress which the council is committed to taking forward in partnership with the government, the business community and other organisations. Some of these opportunities include:

• In anticipation of the arrival of the new NHS National Commissioning Board, creating a health hub network and an advanced medical park to build on Leeds’ status as a world leader in healthcare expertise.
• Promoting Leeds as one of the most cost-effective location for businesses in Europe and improving transport links within the city region and to Manchester and London.
• Building on the city’s strong financial and business services sector by promoting its services nationally and globally and encouraging specialising in low carbon finance and environmental investment.
• Using attractive architectural and environmental design, cultural attractions and green space such as the planned South Bank city park to pull visitors in to city and enhance its retail offer.
• Building on the city’s strong creative, cultural and digital industries, by providing a detailed assessment of the industry, its needs and opportunities for growth.
• Producing clear plans for housing growth and supporting key construction and development schemes in targeted areas across the city, such as the Aire Valley Leeds enterprise zone.
• Giving the social enterprise, voluntary and community sectors a voice in how the city and its economy develops and help people make full use of support to assist them in setting up a social enterprise.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council executive member responsible for city development said:

“Leeds is an economically diverse city and this diversity has always been our strength. We have immense growth opportunities and this strategy will be vital to these opportunities forward.

“However, we also want to ensure growth is for the benefit of people and not to their detriment so this strategy will also focus new activity around social enterprise to help reduce inequality and diversify the city’s economy so it can bring benefits to all its citizens.”

The Leeds Growth Strategy - Getting Leeds Working will be presented to Leeds City Council’s Executive Board on Wednesday 2 November at 1pm. A copy of the full report is available at the following web address: http://democracy.leeds.gov.uk

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For media enquiries please contact:
Sara Hyman, Leeds City Council press office tel: (0113) 224 3602
Email sara.hyman@leeds.gov.