Planning consent for church conversion

Planning permission has been granted for the conversion of a former church building in Leeds to create more than 50 new apartments.Designed by Brewster Bye Architects for developer Gold & Amber, Hope City Church will be transformed into a five-storey building with ground floor retail space, and will be named Lucent Square. It will comprise 52, one- and two-bedroom apartments.The community church group that previously owned the building has outgrown the venue, which was also once a medical clinic and library service HQ for Leeds City Council.Following the approval, work stripping the building back to its original structure will start in December 2018. New external walls will then be built to create room for balconies and amenity space, then an additional lightweight three-storey extension will be offset against the roof of the original second floor.Gold & Amber is the company behind the North Crescent development, which comprises 46 new two-bedroom apartments on a site in in Leeds city centre. It also developed 39 apartments at Brunswick Court in the Mabgate and SOYO Quarter of Leeds and is currently working on converting a neglected 1960’s former halls of residence into 44 stylish apartments on Commercial Road in Kirkstall, known as Kirkstall Gate.