Royal Armouries – the national museum dedicated to arms and armour – is pushing ahead with plans to create a £150m multi-purpose events, exhibition, and conference space at the site of the Tiltyard in Leeds.
The proposal for the 27,000 sq ft Tiltyard site, which is part of the Royal Armouries museum built in 1996 on the city’s South Bank, was highlighted in the Vision for Leeds policy paper published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities earlier this month.
This promised “resource funding” to understand the potential impact of expanding the existing conference facilities at the Royal Armouries to become “a premier conference venue”.
“This venue, already the largest conference facility in Leeds, has the potential to offer a significant increase in conferencing space and support delivery of essential infrastructure including hotels, restaurants and external event space, bringing economic and social benefits to the wider Eastside & Hunslet Riverside area,” the paper said.
The Royal Armouries is keen to progress the idea, saying in its latest annual report, published last month, that its target is to secure “in-principle agreement” from Leeds City Council, the Department for Levelling Up, Homes and Communities and DCMS for a sustainable funding model for a £150m development.
With an agreement in place, Royal Armouries said it would be able to progress to design development, supported by an international competition, and initial planning applications.
The Tiltyard site includes the modern tiltyard, which was built to replicate those found in Tudor castles and palaces, and the Craft Court. The tiltyard was built to host demonstrations of medieval martial pursuits, including jousting and falconry, but is now only used occasionally to support seasonal events.
The Craft Court, intended for traditional craft demonstration and retail, is now used mainly for storage and maintenance workshops according to a previous tender document for consultants to carry out a business case and Green Book appraisal.
The redevelopment of the site would form part of the wider Armouries 700 masterplan, which includes museum refurbishment and redesign of the museum’s main galleries.
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