PLANS to bring an historic pin factory site in Leeds back to life have taken a huge step forward.

Construction firm Carillion has signed a contract to transform a 1.17 hectare site at Tower Works in Holbeck Urban Village.

The site at Leeds’s South Bank will be transformed into 90,000sq ft of office space, 24,000sq ft of retail, restaurant and bar space and a mix of apartments and town houses.

It is part of a larger Tower Works development masterplan, which is estimated to be in the region of £80m and will be submitted for planning approval in the Autumn.

Construction work is expected to begin in Spring 2016.

Gareth Jackson, development director for Carillion, said: “We’re delighted to sign this deal, bringing us another step closer to delivering the regeneration of Tower Works.

“Our team has been working closely with Leeds City Council and its stakeholders to develop a scheme very much of its place – a high-quality and modern response to one of Leeds’s best-loved historic sites.”

Councillor Richard Lewis, executive member for regeneration, transport and planning for Leeds City Council, said: “Tower Works really is one of the most important of Leeds’s landmarks, with its beautiful Italian towers representing both our rich industrial heritage and our commitment to drive the city forward in a sustainable and imaginative way.

“This proposed new development could enhance existing plans for Holbeck Urban Village and the wider South Bank area and act as a catalyst for further regeneration.”

Earlier this year, Leeds City Council announced Carillion as the preferred bidder to develop the Grade II-listed Engine House complex at the centre of the Tower Works site, which will form part of the overall masterplan and is expected to house an art-house cinema and boutique brewery. Read more here.

The Engine House and famed Italianate towers are two of the five listed structures remaining from a factory that produced steel pins from 1860 to 1981.

Naz Parkar, executive director at the Homes and Communities Agency, which owns part of the site, added: “This is another key milestone in the regeneration of the Leeds South Bank.”