The leader of Leeds City Council has said the local authority is ‘thrilled’ that Channel 4 has chosen their city region to be the home of its new national headquarters.
The decision follows two years of discussions with the broadcaster led by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership with support from the council, Screen Yorkshire and others.
Initial forecasts suggest Channel 4’s relocation could directly contribute to the creation of more than 1,200 jobs and an economic impact of more than £1bn in the region over the next decade.
‘We are thrilled that Channel 4 have chosen Leeds to be home to its national headquarters and we know this is a great fit for both the city and the broadcaster,’ said Cllr Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council.
‘Leeds offers a home in the heart of the UK and the North, with strong links to screen, and a constantly evolving creative sector with huge ambitions to be even greater in the next few years and beyond.’
Cllr Blake said that, with Bradford, Leeds has ‘one of the youngest and fastest growing labour markets in the UK’ and so Channel 4’s decision will have ‘a very positive impact on these generations.’
‘We look forward to welcoming Channel 4 into the city when they arrive in 2019,’ she added.
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and leader of Bradford Council, commented: ‘Bradford’s diversity and creativity was one of the critical factors behind Channel 4’s decision and I am excited that our city’s talented young people will enjoy access to a wealth of new opportunities from this success.
‘We will be working together as a region to ensure our people and businesses are properly equipped for the exciting future that lies ahead.’
A spokesperson for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority said they were ‘disappointed’ Greater Manchester would not be the home of Channel 4’s headquarters.
‘We still believe that Greater Manchester would have been the right home for Channel 4’s National HQ and we are proud of the bid process we ran,’ they said.
‘However, our heartfelt congratulations go to Leeds.’
