Work begins to turn listed building into education centre

Plans for a new multi-million-pound learning and skills centre in Morley have taken a significant step forward after work started to convert a former church into a state-of-the-art education centre.

- by Harriet Sutton

Skills centre plans.

A central pillar of the Morley Town Deal's skills agenda, the new Morley Learning and Skills Centre will focus on enabling adults to improve their skills and qualifications to boost their employability and career prospects.

Bought by Leeds City Council in October 2023, the Grade II-listed St Mary's in the Wood Church building, dating from 1900, sits at the heart of the town's newly revised conservation area on Commercial Street.

The purchase was financed using money from a £24.3m Morley Town Deal grant awarded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).