'˜Ugly' Leeds student flats plan gets nod

Developer Burley Place Ltd has won planning permission to build a block of 87 studio flats and a shop at 46 Burley Street, between Leeds city centre and Burley.

Members of Leeds City Council’s city plans panel granted planning permission despite opposition from residents who had objected to the “bulky and bland” design.

Leeds City Council officers had recommended the scheme be approved when the plans were discussed at a meeting of the city plans panel at Leeds Civic Hall in July.

But the application was deferred to a later date to allow amendments to be made to the design after residents complained about the large scale of the building.

Panel members considered the plans at their September meeting, but once again deferred a decision after complaints from residents of Kendal Walk, which is opposite the site of the proposed flats.

Kendal Walk residents Bill McKinnon and Richard Hellawell both spoke against the plans at the latest city plans panel meeting.

Bill McKinnon said after the meeting: “The application’s approval will result in an ugly student block being built quite very close to Leeds city centre.”

A report to the meeting states that the plans had been amended to address previous concerns raised.

The report states: “On balance, the revised scheme has the potential to enhance he character of the surrounding area by regenerating a brownfield site that has been vacant for many years, delivering specialist housing units and a new small scale retail unit.”