City Links Leeds (Leeds City Council) Eric Wright Civil Eng
Discover how behavioural safety is enabling the safe transformation of Leeds city centre, protecting pedestrians and cyclists during construction while supporting the council's environmental and public health objectives through collaborative project delivery.
Location: Leeds City Centre, West Yorkshire
Client: Leeds City Council
Contract Value: £13,000,000.00
Duration: 12 months
Scope: Road space reallocation, segregated cycle lanes, upgraded footways, enhanced pedestrian crossings, traffic calming measures, behavioural based safety management, Compliance and site safety surveys.
Project Description
Leeds city centre is undergoing a transformation that is reclaiming the streets for people, not just vehicles. A major new scheme designed to significantly improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists while reducing traffic dominance has now entered its construction phase.
Focusing on a key city centre corridor, the project involves the physical reallocation of road space, upgraded footways, new segregated cycle lanes, and enhanced crossing points.
For Leeds City Council, this is not just about infrastructure; it is about reshaping how people move through the city.
Safely, sustainably, and with confidence.
The Challenge
Building a safer city centre while keeping a busy urban environment open for business is a balancing act. The construction zone sits central to busy shops, office workers, shoppers and the daily rhythm of city life. Pedestrians and cyclists must be protected from construction traffic, temporary diversions must be clear and intuitive, and the public must be kept informed and reassured throughout the works.
Beyond the engineering challenge, there was also a cultural one. Fostering a safety mindset among the workforce that matched the council's broader Vision Zero ambition.
The project required a safety partner who understood that in a city centre environment, safety is not just about protecting the workforce, it is about protecting the public who live, work, and travel through the site every single day.
The Solution
Yorkshire Health and Safety was engaged to work alongside Eric Wright Civil Engineering, the principal contractor, to implement a behavioural based safety (BBS) approach across the entire construction phase. To foster a collaborative safety culture where every worker was empowered to identify risks, speak up, and reinforce positive behaviours.
This people centred approach led to proactive safety interventions and a shared ownership of successful safety outcomes across the construction phase.
Our Support Included:
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Embedding a behavioural based safety framework that prioritises genuine engagement over paperwork, empowering site teams to take real ownership of safety in a public-facing environment.
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Strengthening CDM 2015 compliance through collaborative working, ensuring that the principal contractor's systems are supported by a human centred safety overlay.
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Providing ongoing on-site support to supervisors and operatives, reinforcing dynamic risk assessment and positive safety behaviours throughout the construction programme.
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Facilitating clear communication channels.
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Supporting the segregation of construction traffic from live pedestrian and cycle routes, maintaining safe passage for the public throughout the build.
The Results:
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A proactive safety culture on site, with workers identifying and mitigating risks before they escalate.
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The project progressed safely through its construction phase, with the public protected from construction hazards through robust segregation and clear communication.
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Leeds City Council has seen its Vision Zero ambitions translated into practical, on the ground action, with the scheme setting a benchmark for future city centre infrastructure projects.
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The project demonstrates how behavioural safety can complement engineering controls, creating a safer environment for both the workforce and the travelling public.
“City-centre construction brings a unique set of pressures and their behavioural approach has given our teams the confidence and the authority to stop and think, to speak up, and to look out for each other and for the public. They've helped us build a culture where safety is instinctive.”
Representative, City Links, Leeds