400-bed student block planned for Sheepscar

Designs have come forward for a seven-storey student residential accommodation, on the site of Caroline House and Diamond House in Sheepscar Street South, which will include more than 100 flats and 400 bedrooms.

The blueprints, brought forward by developer Alumno Student (Whitelock) Ltd, also include a ground floor “communal hub”, study areas, a dining room, common room and laundry. A cinema and gym for residents is also included.

If the scheme were to go ahead, it would mean demolishing three buildings currently on the site, including Diamond House, Britannia House and Caroline House.

These buildings are industrial/warehouse style buildings, with only Diamond House currently occupied. Britannia House has most recently been in use as a shisha lounge.

The 105 flats would be formed of 53 studio flats and 52 “cluster” flats: one four-bedroom; 18 six-bedroom; 18 seven-bedroom; 15 eight-bedroom.

The report recommends councillors approve the plans in principle, and delegate details to the planning officer.

It concludes: “The site is within the city centre fringe, and currently represents an inefficient use of land. The proposal offers a significant opportunity to bring a partly vacant site back into use, deliver purpose-built student housing, provide pedestrian and landscape enhancements, and contribute to regeneration and placemaking of the northern edge of the city centre.

“The proposal on balance is in accordance with the Development Plan, the duties of the Local Planning Authority under Section 66 of the Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas Act 1990, and national planning policy as described above, and it is recommended that planning permission is granted subject to the conditions and planning obligations set out.”

The application is set to be discussed by Leeds City Council’s City Plans Panel on Thursday, November 19.