Developer, Commercial Estates Group (CEG) has appointed contractor I & H Brown to deliver the £400m Kirkstall Forge and Apperley Road development in Leeds.

CEG has already completed a multimillion pound investment into the demolition and remediation of the 23-hectare site and will deliver a new railway station, access road and service the site by late summer 2015; paving the way for more than 1,000 new homes and 300,000 sq ft of office space.

Rachel Reeves, MP for Leeds West, said: "Kirkstall Forge is unique; the quality of the on-site amenities combined with its stunning riverside and woodland location will undoubtedly make it one of the most sought-after destinations in the north for businesses and residents. Kirkstall Forge is set to stimulate the local economy and will ultimately be a catalyst for major regeneration, much-needed housing delivery and job creation on a brownfield site."

The Kirkstall Forge and Apperley Bridge scheme will be delivered with over £5m of private sector investment and will see 2,400 jobs created during the build phase.

The Department for Transport (DfT) will provide a maximum of £10.3m towards the £16.9m needed to deliver railway stations on this site and at Apperley Bridge. The remaining 40% of the cost is made up of a local funding package comprising a private sector contribution of over £5m, supplemented by funding from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Cllr Peter Box, Chair of West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said: "A new rail station is a key element of the Kirkstall Forge development site. Together with a new rail station at Apperley Bridge, Kirkstall Forge station will support new jobs, reduce traffic on busy routes between Leeds and Bradford and ease traffic congestion on Leeds City Centre. Two trains per hour each way from the station will provide a forecast 400,000 passengers each year with a six-minute link to Leeds City Centre, and complement the A65 Quality Bus Lane which opened in 2012."

CEG will also invest in excess of £10m in affordable housing, education and transport improvements as part of the wider Kirkstall Forge redevelopment. The company has recently seen an increase in interest in the commercial space which will be offered on a bespoke lease and design package, allowing tenants to tailor the building and lease terms.

Work on site has already begun.