Hepton Court, York Road: Council refuses proposal to transform two office buildings in Leeds into new flats
Plans to transform an office building off York Road in Leeds into flats have been refused by the council.
The prior approval application would have seen Hepton Court, comprising two buildings arranged around a central courtyard, converted into 32 new residential units.
The 1990s building currently serves as office buildings arranged over two storeys and is flanked by retail units in what is a predominantly residential area on the Harehills side of York Road.
In a report, applicant A Halpern stated that the area is "well served" by shops and supermarkets, several schools, a medical centre and places of worship. It added that the site is “well connected to the existing transport system”.
If approved, the property would host 16 ground-floor and 16 first-floor dwellings comprising 21 one-bedroom and 11 two-bedroom flats. The flats would have been spread across the two office buildings referred to as Block A and Block B.
A planning officer recommended Leeds City Council refused the plans, specifying that a number of the proposed ground floor flats in Block A fail to provide adequate levels of natural light into the main rooms.
Notwithstanding this, the officer said that the local planning authority would welcome the submission of a full planning application for the creation of a single residential unit.
The proposal was refused by the planning committee on November 4, 2024.