Leeds City Council’s executive board will give final approval next week for a £15 million sports hub in Holbeck, with construction starting in August 2026 on three full-size artificial grass football pitches, two multi-use games areas and community facilities.
The investment transforms the former Matthew Murray High School site off Brown Lane East and Ingram Road into a facility providing changing rooms, a café, children’s play area and walking and running routes through green space.
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The hub aims to secure a GP surgery as tenant, adding healthcare provision to the sports and wellbeing benefits for south Leeds residents.
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, 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.”
Parklife Programme Creates Three Leeds Hubs
Holbeck Sports Hub is the third Leeds facility delivered in partnership with the Football Foundation as part of the national Parklife programme. It follows Woodhall in Calverley, completing for the 2026/27 season, and Green Park in Temple Newsam where work starts this year.
The National Football Trust will manage all three hubs as a not-for-profit organisation, with surplus income reinvested into council-owned and third-party outdoor sports facilities.
The programme receives joint funding from the Football Foundation and Leeds City Council capital funding, demonstrating sustained public investment in community sports infrastructure.
The August 2026 construction start enables completion within the 2026/27 timeframe, adding capacity to Leeds’ sports infrastructure network and supporting the city’s active lifestyles agenda.
Why this matters for Leeds
The £15 million Holbeck investment demonstrates Leeds’ commitment to addressing sports facility shortfalls while tackling health inequalities through combined sports and healthcare provision. Creating three Football Foundation partnerships shows Leeds can attract national programme funding by delivering proven hub models that generate sustainable income for reinvestment.
More Information:
Leeds City Council: news.leeds.gov.uk
Football Foundation: footballfoundation.org.uk
