Sweet Street: £500m plan to build one of 'most desirable' developments in Leeds city centre with 1,300 flats

The plans, which include the building of 1,350 new apartments and two new office blocks across Sweet Street in Holbeck, were approved by a Leeds City Council committee on Thursday.

As part of the scheme, the old Commercial pub, which has been empty for five years on the corner of Marshall Street, will be revived and brought back into use.

A neighbourhood hub and public square will also be created.

Welcoming news of the decision, Jean-Marc Vandevivere, CEO at developers Platform, said: “The green light from Leeds City Council is the news that we have been waiting for, and we are incredibly pleased that we can now progress with our development which is set to become one of the most desirable residential and office communities in the city.

“We’re extremely excited about turning this site that has lain derelict for too long into a thriving neighbourhood supporting Leeds City Council’s goals of delivering new homes across the city and continuing the rapid regeneration of the south bank area of Leeds.”

Facilities on offer to new residents will include a gym, co-working space, roof terraces and children’s play areas.

Money will also be put forward by the developers to improve road infrastructure around the area and Sweet Street West will be revamped as a tree-lined boulevard.

Locals who once drank in the old Commercial pub are likely to be particularly heartened by news of its revival.

The boozer was once owned by Leeds United great Peter Lorimer, but closed in 2018 and has been a target for vandals and arsonists in the years since.

Councillors on the Leeds city plans panel voted seven to two in favour of approving the scheme.

The site itself was once home to a number of businesses and a church, but the buildings emptied around a decade ago before being demolished just before the pandemic.

It has more recently been used as a car park.