Councillor Salma Arif has welcomed plans for a major new £15 million sports hub in Holbeck, with final approval expected from senior councillors later this month.
Leeds City Council’s executive board is set to give the final go-ahead for work to begin on the new facility, with councillors expected to approve the appointment of a contractor to deliver the development.
With construction anticipated to start in August 2026, the Holbeck Sports Hub will feature three full-size artificial grass football pitches, two multi-use games areas, and a community building complete with changing rooms and a café.
Councillor Salma Arif said: “We look forward to the work starting on the Holbeck Sports Hub, which will be a significant asset to the local community and residents in south Leeds.
“It will provide affordable and accessible quality sports pitches, providing more opportunities for physical activity and play and spaces to meet up and connect.
“We are also working towards an agreement with a GP practice so that the area can benefit from new high-quality healthcare provision to meet the needs of the community.”
The new hub will be built on the site of the former Matthew Murray High School, with plans also exploring the potential for a new GP surgery as part of the wider development.
The project aims to deliver wide-ranging health and wellbeing benefits for local residents, with additional features including a children’s play area and walking and running routes through the surrounding green space off Brown Lane East and Ingram Road.
The all-weather pitches are designed to provide sustainable, high-quality training facilities that will help reduce pressure on grass pitches and address the current shortfall of more than 20 all-weather pitches across Leeds.
Holbeck will become the third sports hub in Leeds delivered in partnership with the Football Foundation as part of its national Parklife programme.
It follows the Woodhall hub in Calverley, which is expected to be completed for the 2026/27 playing season, and Green Park in Temple Newsam where construction is due to begin this year.
All three hubs will be managed by the National Football Trust, with any surplus income reinvested into council-owned and third-party outdoor sports facilities across the city.
The programme is jointly funded by the Football Foundation and Leeds City Council through its capital investment programme.
