Towering 32-storey student accommodation to replace former Santander building on Merrion Street

The towering new apartment block will form one of the new student accommodation developments planned in the city.

Located on Merrion Street, the building will top 100m high and provide 693 bedrooms.

The tallest of the two blocks will be 32 storeys, making it amongst the tallest buildings in Leeds.

The second block will be 11 storeys high.

The scheme, which will be built on the site of the former Santander building, comprises purpose-built student accommodation including shared amenity spaces built across two blocks, with two retail units on the ground floors.

Shared facilities will include a cinema, communal kitchens, gym, study and breakout spaces, a fourth-floor terrace with outside space, and cycle storage at ground level.

The new scheme is set to make an impressive addition to the Leeds skyline, with striking unitized glass facades on the high-rise building.

HG Construction has been named as the main contractor on the scheme, which is being built by SCAPE, a student accommodation provider.

Managing Director of HG Construction, Adam Quinn, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with SCAPE to deliver this iconic new student accommodation scheme in Leeds.

"SCAPE has an excellent reputation for developing high quality, innovative student accommodation schemes which provide an exceptional living experience for students across the UK.

"We are proud to be involved in this significant new development in Leeds, our first project in the city, and we look forward to working with SCAPE and the wider team to bring this scheme to life.”

Global CDO of SCAPE, Adam Brockley, said: “We look forward to continuing our partnership with HG Construction to bring to life our vision for a new student accommodation scheme at this landmark site in Leeds.

"HG Construction has earned an impeccable reputation for its forward-thinking design and innovative developments that go above and beyond anybody’s expectations.

"We are proud to be bringing our high-quality accommodation to a city so well-known for its vibrant student life as we continue with our ambitious plans to develop the global Scape offering.”

Planning permission for the development was granted in 2020.

At the time, planning chiefs described the designs as “iconic”, “beautiful” and “absolutely gorgeous”.

Coun Peter Gruen (Lab): “We say we want these kind of buildings to be iconic, different and for architects to use their imaginations, and when they do we need to support that.

“It will make a real statement in that part of the city.”

Coun Graham Latty went one further, adding: “I think it’s absolutely gorgeous.

“We have had nothing like John Lewis since then, and I love to be back involved again with something like that.”

The application had received four letters of objection, raising concerns such as the overbearing nature of the building, as well as fears of a rise in antisocial behaviour and crime.

A report, set to go before members of the council’s city plans panel, claimed Leeds Civic Trust also complained that the tower would be “unacceptably dominant, overbearing and intrusive”.

Planning permission was granted on the condition that the construction on the development should begin before August 26, 2023.

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