Public invited to have their say on £100m Merrion project

A public consultation has been launched today by developers who want demolish the former Santander office off Merrion Street and build 660 student flats in its place.

The company says the £100m scheme will “deliver specialist accommodation” for 660 students in the city centre, within walking distance of both the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University.

A statement from the company read: “The Merrion Project will be home to 87 postgraduates and 573 undergraduates living in a mix of apartments and studios. Leeds currently has a shortage of specialist student accommodation, with around 38,000 university students having to find alternative living arrangements each year.

The building is designed to be part four, part 10 and part 32 storeys in height sitting among other tall buildings at the northeast end of the city centre. It would replace the 1970s Santander office block on Merrion Street, while the company claims it has been designed ‘to complement the historic setting of St John’s Church and the nearby conservation area’.

The statement added: “The new development is expected to boost the local economy around Merrion Street with residents looking to shop, eat, drink and socialise in the area.

“It will make Merrion Street more attractive by creating a new frontage that allows it to integrate better with its surroundings, including the Rest Garden. Merrion Street is renowned as one of Leeds’ top nightspots packed with well-known bars and restaurants. A host of cultural attractions including Leeds Grand Theatre, Leeds Playhouse and the First Direct Arena are just a short walk away.”

The development would also include further provision for walking and cycling on New Briggate and Merrion Street.

Richard Cutler, one of the people behind the project said: “We are delighted to be able to bring forward The Merrion Project in the current climate. If approved, The Merrion Project will deliver world-class architecture to Merrion Street and provide much-needed specialist student accommodation in the heart of Leeds.

“Despite the current uncertainty we very much believe in Leeds as a place to invest and we have worked hard to submit a planning application which, if approved, would see over £100 million invested into the city, beginning later this year.”

An earlier form of the plans went before members of Leeds City Council’s city plans panel back in February 2020.

During comments on a pre-application for the site, committee member Coun Elizabeth Nash (Lab) said: “The tall part of the building is very attractive and will be enjoyed by many people, but the plinth needs further work on it.

“I think it is a strong proposal so far,” added Coun Neil Walshaw (Lab). “We should be really pleased with this. This is super promising – I’m really pleased.”

No decision was made by the panel, as the full planning application was still to be submitted. However, members of the committee agreed that such a development would be acceptable in principle.

The Santander offices closed in 2019, and a report by council officers claimed the proposal would only reduce employment land by a ‘relatively small amount’.

Anyone interested in the scheme can visit merrionproject.com to have their say.