Plan for 209-bed student flats block at Leeds city centre office site

Development company S Harrison has submitted a planning application to build a 209 bedroom student accommodation scheme close to Leeds city centre and just a short walk from both the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University.

The scheme, proposed by development company S Harrison, would replace a predominantly vacant, existing office building on Blenheim Walk, which sits between Leeds College of Art and Leeds Student Medical Practice.

The development’s en-suite bedrooms would be spread across 32 apartments that would all include large, shared kitchen, living and dining spaces to promote inclusivity.

Externally, there are plans for a large green courtyard area.

Design manager Gavin Douglas said: “In recent years there has been a major shift in students moving towards the city centre from Leeds’ traditional student areas, such as Headingley, and this development would be ideally placed to capitalise on this trend.

“It’s within a short walk of Leeds city centre and both the city’s universities, so there’s no doubt it would be a popular place to live and help to free up housing stock in the surrounding area.”

If the planning application is successful, work could start early next year and be complete in time for the start of the 2018/19 academic year.