New plans for major Leeds development site come forward

Plans have been revealed to develop more than 1,400 homes, student accommodation and commercial space across a host of new buildings on a prominent site in Leeds.Latimer Developments, supported by Lichfields, is set to present pre-application proposals for the former City Reach site to Leeds City Council’s City Plans Panel on 2 September 2021.The 12.1-acre site was previously occupied by the former Yorkshire Chemical Works and First Bus depot, but has since been cleared.The new proposals for the site would include 1,437 homes and 362 student rooms, together with about 45,700 sq ft of ground floor commercial, leisure, cultural and community floorspace, in 11 buildings.The tallest of the new buildings would stand at 17 storeys.The residential development would comprise a mix of one-, two- and three-bed properties in a range of private and affordable tenures. Homes would have access to a private outdoor balcony space and shared garden areas. Affordable housing provision of 35 is expected, subject to grant funding.The ground floor uses could include a convenience store, food hall, commercial shed, café, work hubs, start-up spaces, cultural space, cycle hub, GP surgery, gym, community hall, concierge service, resident’s lounge and a parcel delivery hub.The proposed development would include 243 car parking spaces and four garage spaces associated with the townhouses, and about 1,148 secure cycle parking spaces.The scheme would also include landscaped areas and new public spaces, including a park with walkway along the River Aire. The existing, disused Bailey Bridge across the river would be refurbished.Committee members will be asked for their views on the proposed uses, the emerging scale and layout of the development, highways improvements, and the approach to biodiversity and the public realm.Outline planning permission for the City Reach scheme, including housing and student accommodation, was granted in 2016.