New plans for major Leeds development site set for approval

Plans for more than 1,400 homes, student accommodation and commercial space across a host of new buildings on a prominent site in Leeds look set to get the green light next week (21 April 2022.Latimer Developments, supported by Lichfields, submitted plans to Leeds City Council towards the end of last year for the former City Reach site.The 12.1-acre site was previously occupied by the former Yorkshire Chemical Works and First Bus depot, but has since been cleared.In total, the scheme proposes up to 1,437 residential units and 362 student rooms across 11 buildings.The tallest of the new buildings would stand at 17 storeys.A total of 503 affordable homes would be provided across the development.The hybrid application seeks approval for the demolition of the remaining structures and construction of four new buildings to provide 619 apartments.This element of the scheme also includes four townhouses, a 15-storey student accommodation block comprising 334 cluster flats and 28 studios, and 33,000 sq ft of flexible ground floor retail, commercial, leisure, health, cultural and community floorspace.New public spaces would be created and the existing river bridge would be replaced.Outline planning permission is also sought a further six buildings featuring 804 apartments, ten townhouses, about 14,000 sq ft of commercial and community space, and new public spaces, including a riverside park.The application will go before the council’s City Plans Panel on 21 April. An officer’s report prepared for the meeting recommends that members to approve the application in principle and defer and delegate the final decision to the chief planning officer, subject to the resolution of outstanding matters relating to flood risk and conditions.Pre-application plans for the development were presented to the council’s City Plans Panel in September, with members supportive of the proposals.Latimer, the development arm of the Clarion Housing Group, appointed advisers to the project earlier this year, including JLL, Savills and Broadway Malyan.Outline planning permission for the City Reach scheme, including housing and student accommodation, was granted in 2016.