Kirkgate Market hotel plans get the go-ahead

Plans for a new hotel at Leeds Kirkgate Market have been given the green light.Leeds City Council submitted a planning application in August for the scheme on the George Street side of the grade I-listed market building.The site earmarked for the scheme is owned by the council and is currently occupied by a number of vacant low-rise shop units.The hotel would fill the top five floors of the new six-storey building and would have 143 bedrooms as well as a bar and restaurant for guests.The ground floor would feature commercial units and a council-run gym.About 50 full and part-time jobs could be created once the hotel is operational, with about 80 roles supported during construction.Councillors voted to approve the plans, subject to conditions and the completion of a Section 106 agreement, at a meeting of city plans panel yesterday (30 November). The decision was in line with the recommendation of a planning officers report prepared for the meeting.The council recently confirmed Premier Inn as the proposed operator of the hotel.