Leeds nightlife hotspot Merrion Street to be full pedestrianised with £250k renovation project

Work on the £250,00 project will begin in the first week of January to improve the lower end of Merrion Street – including 24-hour pedestrianisation. The work is part of a wider scheme to refresh key spaces across the city centre while making them safer for the public, Leeds City Council said.

Scheduled to begin on January 3 and finishing in March, the work on lower Merrion Street will include complete resurfacing with new materials along with the installation of new security bollards.

Councillor Helen Hayden, executive member for infrastructure and climate, said: “Merrion Street is one of the city’s busiest and most popular night spots and is home to a number of businesses which make a significant contribution to the local economy.

“It’s good to see that this thriving part of Leeds will be getting 2023 off to a great start with some important improvements that will benefit both those businesses and their customers. Working with partners in the sector, we’ve undertaken a number of enhancement and security projects which will ensure people can enjoy their night out in a modern, vibrant and safe setting.”

The Merrion Street project, funded by the council, will cost around £250,000 is the latest in a series of recent improvement schemes in some of the city’s key night life areas. In 2020, Greek Street was transformed with a new level surface of granite paving, new feature lighting, CCTV and a vehicle access control system.

And earlier this year, New Briggate was turned into a new traffic-free space including new trees, benches, ‘street café’ seating and the introduction of a new street-food trading pitch. Other city centre streets including Briggate and Lands Lane have also seen the installation of remotely controlled, lowerable bollards as part of a city-wide, hi-tech system designed to stop unauthorised vehicles.

The area around Corn Exchange was also transformed this year. A multi-million pound project has seen Call Lane redesigned to open up more pedestrianised space, with trees and benches now providing a scenic gateway to the centre.