The plans remain as a three-block proposal. Credit: planning documents

UCR to try again for 387 BTR Leeds city homes

3 April 2025 07:09 Sally Gibson Comments (0)

The council will once again consider plans for the developer’s three-block apartment proposal for land on Wellington Road and Armley Road, having previously insisted on more green spaces, affordable housing, and a better design for the building closest to the A58.

Architect Woods Bagot has now incorporated more green spaces by including public access to the west side of the site, which increases the area by 3,000 sq ft.

Removal of a planned padel court – surely the only time in recent memory that a padel court hasn’t gone ahead – has also added an extra 10,000 sq ft of green space for residents.

By reconfiguring the eastern side of the site to include walkways, planting, and natural play elements like log stepping stones, the updated report by Leeds City Council says that officers are satisfied the new designs will provide enjoyable spaces for residents.

In total, the scheme will now provide 22,500 sq ft of green space, which meets the 20% criteria.

UCR Leeds has also agreed to provide £530,927.29 towards off-site green space contributions.

In terms of addressing concerns about the end building, which will sit within eye-view of the Roundhouse, the development now intentionally ‘steps down’ at the corner to reduce its profile closer to the heritage assets of the Roundhouse buildings and 1 Canal Place.

Officers believe the proposed scale and stepping down of the mass of the corner building towards the junction is acceptable and balances the need to respect the nearby historic buildings whilst also redeveloping a brownfield site.

As for affordable housing, despite having previously submitted an independent assessment which concluded that, for viability reasons, only 0.52% (two units) would be possible on the site, UCR has now agreed to pay more than £1m in S106 contributions and increase the number of affordable units to 5%, or 19 units.

Whilst still below the 20% threshold set out in the planning policy, which would equate to 77 units in this case, this has been described as ‘reasonable’ by the updated report.

Development manager Solaris UK filed plans for the project, which already has planning permission for 306 homes on the site. UCR’s plans for almost 400 homes is achieved by having an 18-storey middle block.

The amended plans will be discussed at the city panel meeting next Thursday, 10 April.