32-storey tower plans set to get green light

Plans for a £100m, 32-storey development on the site of a former bank office building in Leeds city centre are recommended for approval at a meeting next week.The Merrion Project has been proposed by a joint venture between Real Estate Capital Partners and Bloombridge, known as Merrion Street Leeds Ltd (MSL), with an application submitted to Leeds City Council earlier this year.The site currently comprises a four-storey office building built in 1979. Santander closed its offices in the building during 2019.Planning permission is sought for the demolition of the existing property and construction of a new residential development comprising a four-to-ten storey building with a 32-storey tower element.The £100m scheme would provide accommodation for 660 students, with 87 postgraduates and 573 undergraduates set to be housed in a mix of apartments and studios.Retail space and plant areas, as well as potential community and arts facilities, are proposed for the ground floor.The Merrion Project has been designed by architects’ practice SimpsonHaugh. It has been designed to complement the historic setting of St John’s Church and the nearby conservation area.The application will be considered by the council’s City Plans Panel on 6 August 2020. It is recommended for approval, subject to conditions, in a planning officer’s report prepared for the remote meeting.The report said the proposed development would “provide high-quality, contemporary, architecture which would maintain the setting of adjacent heritage assets, while animating and improving the appearance of the local townscape”.The freehold of Santander House was purchased unconditionally in November 2019. MSL has appointed a design team, led by SimpsonHaugh, with input from WSP on energy and climate change engineering, and Re-Form on public realm.