Leeds College of Technology


Leeds College of Technology was a further education college in Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. With a strong technical bias, the college supported the computing, engineering, social care and transport industries. In addition, the college was a national centre for print training and offered English language learning and teaching. The current building was built in 1957 and opened in 1959, it was part of Leeds City College until June 2019 when the college closed after 60 years of activity and moved to a brand new campus down at Quarry Hill opposite the bus station.
It was founded in 1824 as part of the Leeds Mechanics' Institute, and in 1868 the college became the Leeds Institute of Science, Art and Literature, then the Branch College of Engineering and Science. It was renamed Kitson College in 1967 in honour of James Kitson, 1st Baron Airedale, and then Leeds College of Technology.
The college served more than 5,000 students.
On 1 April 2009, Leeds College of Technology merged with Leeds Thomas Danby and the Park Lane College to form the new Leeds City College. The site on Cookridge Street is now known as the Technology Campus of the new college. On 26 January 2016 it was announced that the Health and Social Care services will move to a new Quarry Hill campus being built next to West Yorkshire Playhouse. The whole building will close in July 2019 and courses will move elsewhere. Work began on the Quarry Hill Campus in September 2016 and the building is to open in July 2019. The Technology Campus will close its doors for the final time on 28 June 2019. There are plans to demolish the building and build student flats. West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges operated from Technology Campus until 2018.
The Technology Campus has played its part in rock history. The Who's album Live at Leeds had two tracks re-recorded here and Pink Floyd's song "See Emily Play" was written here after a gig in the building when it was still known as Kitson College.