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A new scheme to build student flats near Leeds city centre has been savaged as “sub-standard” by a local councillor.

Liberal Democrat Colin Campbell was commenting on proposals to put up a block of 183 studio apartments on Burley Street, which went before a council plans panel on Thursday.

Councillor Campbell said the size of the flats, which will measure just 20 squared metres in most cases, was inadequate.

The developers, Torsion, have said the application is “high quality” and that if approved it will regenerate a “vacant” and “poorly maintained” council-owned site.

A CGI image indicating how the proposals may look in practice.

The current buildings on the site, stretched across numbers 16 – 22 Burley Street, used to be home to a sandwich shop, chippy and accountants. But these units are now all empty, according to a council report on the application. They will be demolished if the plans are approved.

Councillor Campbell said: “Students are human beings.

“We’re pushing them into really, really tiny rooms. These are only up to 20 squared metres.”

Taking aim at the design of the building too, which he branded “uninspired”, he added: “It’s a block to cram students in. It could be so much better.

Plans to build new student flats in Leeds city centre branded 'sub-standard' by councillor