Students’ towers ‘are changing city’

Civic planners have been warned to prepare for a “big challenge”, as the heart of Leeds faces being changed dramatically with a succession of major tower block developments for students.

The warning came today ahead of initial proposals for a 36-storey student tower block featuring 754 flats.

CIVIC PLANNERS have been warned to prepare themselves for a “big challenge”, as the heart of Yorkshire’s biggest city faces being changed dramatically with a succession of major tower block developments to house students.

The warning came today ahead of initial proposals for a 36-storey student tower block featuring 754 flats in Wade Lane, in a prime Leeds city centre location in the emerging Arena Quarter, being presented to planning bosses later this week. The building, replacing a 1960s office block which will be demolished, would be the highest in the city.

Previous pre-application plans for a 40 storey supertower on the same site were presented to council planning chiefs in late 2016 but were abandoned and the site sold.

The latest plans by new owners Olympian Homes would add to a cluster of student flats developments all within yards of each other, and within short walking distance of Leeds Beckett University and the University of Leeds.

The emerging and proposed schemes would provide around 3,000 new student bed spaces between them in total.

According to latest numbers, there are currently 51,661 students in full time higher education in Leeds.

However there is still a “residual demand” of 35,000 student bed spaces in the city, a report being presented to Leeds Council’s City Plans Panel this Thursday says. Building more student flats is “unlikely to result in an over supply in the near future”, the report adds.

However planning and civic experts have warned that the string of similar developments represent “a big change for the area if they all get built”.

Martin Hamilton, director of Leeds Civic Trust, said: “It’s hard to argue against [the site] being used for student accommodation, because it is a short walk from Leeds Beckett and the University of Leeds.

“But what’s important is the quality of the buildings, that they are attractive and contribute to the skyline.”

He admitted the proposals would “change the character of the area” and decision-makers were facing “a bit of a trade off ”.

“It’s a big challenge – and there needs to be co-operation and coordination between operators,” he added.

He suggested that because the new tower would be “on a high point in the city centre on top of a hill”, the creation of a viewing platform or restaurant and bar accessible to the general public would make the idea more appealing,

Councillor Peter Gruen, who sits on the City Plans Panel, acknowledged there was a possible “danger of overproviding for student accommodation” in the same part of the city centre .

“It’s not just about overprovision, but actually sufficient versatility and diversity,” he added,

“There has to be room for everybody and the developers have to convince us that it meets the quality threshold, particularly as it’s going to be seen from everywhere.” He said any eventual scheme should create a “lasting legacy” on a “very important location”.

A report prepared for councillors ahead of Thursday’s planning meeting points out that the latest proposal could form part of “a potential string of tall buildings following the Inner Ring Road” which could “announce a northern gateway to the city centre”.

Referring to the Wade Lane tower block, the report says “the vision is to provide a landmark building... and to provide a significant addition to the skyline of the city”.

What’s important is the quality of the buildings. Martin Hamilton, Leeds Civic Trust.