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Machine movement in Leeds and across West Yorkshire
We provide machine movement in Leeds for manufacturers, food producers, distribution sites, laboratories and hospitals across the city and West Yorkshire. We move single machines and full production lines: new installations, factory relocations, moves between units, re-layouts to fit in new equipment, and removals of plant that has reached the end of its life.
We work across Leeds, Morley, Pudsey, Horsforth, Garforth, Wetherby and Otley, and out to Wakefield, Bradford and Huddersfield. Most enquiries get a price the same working day from a desktop survey.
What a machine move involves
Most moves follow the same order: disconnection and making safe, rigging and extraction, transport, then positioning, levelling and setting down on mounts. Some need a crane and a low loader, and plenty are done inside the building with jacks, skates and gantries. What we use depends on the weight, the way out and how long you can stop for.
What we move in Leeds
| Equipment | Where it usually is | How it moves |
|---|---|---|
| CNC machines, lathes and presses | Engineering works in Holbeck, Hunslet and Cross Green | Jacked onto skates and moved to transport or a new bay |
| Production and packing lines | Food and drink plants across West Yorkshire | Taken apart in sections and rebuilt inside a shutdown |
| Conveyors and handling equipment | Distribution units on the M1 and M62 corridors | Moved in stages so the building keeps running |
| Laboratory and imaging equipment | Hospital, university and research buildings | Air skates or a low-headroom gantry, set to a measured position |
| Printing and textile machinery | Print, packaging and textile firms across the city | Moved whole or in pieces, depending on the way out |
| Chillers, generators and switchgear | Plant rooms, roofs and substations | Crane to roof or yard, then skated into position |
Send us the weight, the dimensions and both locations and we will tell you what it takes. Our machine movement service page explains the process in more detail.
Contact us
Get In Touch
Please leave a few details and a member of our machine movement team will be in touch to discuss your requirements in more detail.
Where we work in and around Leeds
Most of our machine movement work in Leeds falls into a handful of sectors.
Holbeck, Hunslet and Cross Green
The industrial areas south and east of the centre are the busiest part of our Leeds work, with engineering, fabrication and trade businesses throughout. We install new machines there, move firms between units and clear out old plant, often from older buildings with small yards. See our industrial sector page.
Food and drink manufacturing
West Yorkshire has a large food and drink base. Lines get installed, moved and taken out during short shutdowns, and we work to the site’s hygiene and cleaning rules. See our food and beverages page.
Distribution and the motorway corridors
When a warehouse on the M1 or M62 wins or loses a contract, the conveyors and handling equipment often have to change. We work between shifts so the building keeps running.
Hospitals, laboratories and universities
Leeds has a large hospital, research and university estate. Lab and imaging equipment and plant room machinery are moved with staff, patients and students still in the building. See our healthcare and pharma and education pages.
Print, packaging and textiles
Print, packaging and textile firms still run across the city, many in converted mills. New presses go in, old ones come out, and some firms move to newer units. See our print and packaging page.
Rail and utilities
Rail maintenance equipment, substation plant and standby generators are moved inside booked possessions and outages, so the dates are fixed well in advance. See our rail and power and renewables pages.
Access and planning for a machine move in Leeds
Points we check on most Leeds jobs:
- Getting loads in and out. The M1, M62 and M621 serve the south of the city, with the A1(M) to the east. Part of the inner ring road runs in tunnel, so tall loads are routed around it, and we check low bridges and weight limits before we quote.
- The city centre. Bus gates and the pedestrianised core limit where a vehicle or crane can stand, so central load-outs are often booked for an evening or a Sunday.
- Upper floors and goods lifts. Some older buildings have machinery above ground level and a goods lift rated below the machine’s weight. We plan the route out before we price it.
- Floors and ground. Older floors, cellars under pavements and canal-side ground all need checking before a skate route or crane position is fixed.
- Road closures. Where a load-out needs part of a road or pavement, we can arrange the traffic management and road closure with Leeds City Council.
Moving large or heavy machinery by road
A vehicle and load over 44,000kg gross, 2.9m wide or 18.65m long is an abnormal load. Up to 80,000kg the highway and bridge authorities need two clear working days’ notice through ESDAL, rising to five above that, when the police need notice too. Loads over 2.9m wide or 18.65m long also need two clear working days’ notice to the police. Above 150,000kg or 6.1m wide a Special Order is needed, applied for about ten weeks ahead. We handle the notifications ourselves or with your haulier. From Leeds, heavy loads usually join the M621, M1 or M62 within a few miles.
Postcodes and areas we cover
We cover every LS postcode and the West Yorkshire districts around it:
- Leeds: city centre, Holbeck, Hunslet, Armley, Wortley, Burley, Headingley and Harehills
- North and west: Bramley, Pudsey, Farsley, Horsforth, Yeadon, Guiseley and Otley
- South and east: Morley, Rothwell, Cross Green, Seacroft, Garforth and Wetherby
- Wider area: Wakefield, Bradford, Huddersfield and Harrogate
We also move machinery right across the UK.
Why Leeds firms choose Synergy Lifting for machine movement
- Surveyed before it is priced. The route out, the floors and the lifting points are checked first, so the plan holds on the day.
- Planned around your production. Shutdowns, shift patterns and weekend windows are set out at the start so you know when the machine will be running again.
- One firm from start to finish. Crane, skates, jacks, gantries and transport all come from us and are run by our own people.
- Qualified and accredited. CPCS and NPORS operators, lifts planned to BS 7121, equipment inspected under LOLER and PUWER, SSIP approved, Constructionline Gold Member, certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, and members of the Construction Plant-hire Association.
More than machine movement
Many Leeds machine moves need something extra, so we also offer:
How a machine move works
- Send us the weight and dimensions, where the machine is now, where it is going and your dates. Photos help.
- We price it, usually the same working day from a desktop survey. Complex moves may need a site visit first.
- We prepare the method statement, risk assessment and lift plan.
- On the day we rig, extract, transport and position the machine.
- It is set down and levelled, ready for your engineers to reconnect and commission.
Common questions
Can you get a machine down from an upper floor?
Usually, yes. We check the floor, the stairs, the goods lift and any openings, then choose between taking the machine out in sections, lifting it out through an opening with a crane, or a mix of both. Send us photos of the machine and the route and we will tell you what is workable.
Can you work in the evening or at the weekend?
Yes. Sunday and overnight moves keep the street clear and your production running in the week. Tell us when you can stop and we will plan around it.
Who disconnects and reconnects the machine?
Mechanical disconnection and making safe is usually ours, and we position the machine precisely enough for commissioning. Electrical and control reconnection is coordinated with your own engineers or the machine manufacturer, and who covers what is agreed at survey stage.
Can you move a machine that has broken down?
Yes. Breakdown work is prioritised because production has usually stopped. Call us with the machine details and we will give you a firm attendance time on the call.
Get a quote for machine movement in Leeds
- Phone: 0113 734 1504
- Email: leeds@synergy-lifting.co.uk
Send us the weight, the dimensions and both locations, with a few photos if you have them.
We also provide machine movement in York, Doncaster, Sheffield and Manchester. See all the machine movement locations.