It’s been a little quiet with planning applications this month. The main themes of the applications we did view were retail, changes of use, and housing.
New Retail Coming to the City Centre…
Leeds City Station
An application for a new Greggs store came through this month, set to open in one of the vacant units in the station’s southern concourse. Whilst the planning committee agreed upon a no comment for this application, it was stressed that the application must be in line with the Grade II listing of the concourse, namely with the use of vinyl on the windows; but overall, the consensus was that this should make a good addition to the retailers already active in the station.
78 Briggate
The Chinese retailer POP MART, best known for the viral Labubu doll, has submitted an application for 78 Briggate, formerly occupied by Dune. With very few alterations to be made to the inside and outside of this listed building, besides the addition of vinyl to the exterior, the planning committee saw no issue with this application and stated, ‘no comment’. This should be quite a busy store!
Changes of Use: Education & Padel courts
Adams Court
We also looked over plans to convert Adams Court into a special educational needs school. Located in Holbeck, this Grade II listed building was previously used by the council for their children’s services department but was sold after being deemed surplus to requirement. The planning committee were happy to see the proposals for a school, especially given the building’s history as a site for education, most notably being a part of Jacob Kramer College. The only point of concern for the committee was the demolition of an outdoor covered playground. The site originally had three of these playgrounds, created by the buildings architect R L Adams. Whilst we submitted a letter of support for the application, we stressed that this playground should remain as an important historical characteristic of the building.
8 Park Row
A similar change of use application also came through for number 8, Park Row, with proposals to turn former offices into classrooms. The application was made by The Study Group, an international education specialist and strategic partner to universities internationally. In this instance, they’ll be working with the University of Leeds. The planning committee felt there was no real issue with this application and were happy to see the space used, so agreed upon a no comment.
Versa Studios
An application for an empty unit at Versa Studios to be converted into a Padel Facility was also assessed this month. The proposed plans would see eight padel courts: six double courts and two single courts. Whilst no issue with the application was raised by the committee, it was suggested that landscaping could be added to the large car park adjacent to the site – a comment was submitted echoing this.
New Housing on the Horizon
New Foundry Square
The biggest application the committee assessed this month was for New Foundry Square – a new housing development set to build 503 dwellings on Kirkstall Road; the developers presented their plans to us in July. Generally, the planning committee felt they could support the application and were impressed by the design and appearance of the buildings as they reflect traditional building forms and include features of architectural interest, like arches. They also welcomed the mix of brick colours and inset balconies that will give many units outdoor space. However, the scale and massing of the development was a point of concern. The committee stressed that lower, more suburban scale buildings should dominate the site.
Westminster Building
An application to convert the Westminster building into seventeen apartments was also picked up by the committee. Situated just next to Kirkgate Market, on New York Street, the building was completed in 1877 by architect Thomas Ambler and is Grade II listed. The committee felt the application was very thorough, with a very impressive design & access statement, and they were glad to see that the works would not affect the existing interior of the building. The committee did however feel that more information around ground floor accessibility was needed and stated this in their letter of support.
Presentations, Visits & Events
Leeds City Station Update
The planning committee were visited by Angela Lawson (Head of Station Development at Leeds City Council), who updated us on the development of Leeds City Station. The presentation illustrated the different stages of development that the station will undergo, from the current development taking place, to what future works will be needed beyond the station itself. It is expected that by 2045, annual passenger numbers at the station will touch 50 million; the station needs to be developed to accommodate this larger flow of passengers. After the current sustainable gateway work is completed next year, the next stage of work will see more internal and external changes to the station, including a new overbridge connecting the southern concourse to platform 17, new retail on the dark arches and a new exit to the south of the station. In the years beyond that, the plan is to re-develop the land surrounding the station to create a more cohesive, campus like feel on the approach to the station, that works compatibly with other transport modes like the proposed tram.
Leeds Architecture Awards Launch
Along with Leeds Society of Architects, RIBA and Leeds City Council, we launched the Leeds Architecture Awards this month at the Corn Exchange, where we announced this year’s shortlisted entries and showcased the other submitted projects.
The awards ceremony takes place on Thursday 6th November and all are welcome to attend: click here to book your ticket
The 2025 categories are:
- Adapted Buildings & Conservation
- Public Realm & Landscape
- New Buildings with a Construction Cost under £10M
- New Buildings with a Construction Cost above £10M
We also have two special awards this year:
- The Mark Finch Award – recognising the achievements of a person who has made a significant positive impact on the built environment and placemaking within the Leeds Metropolitan District. Sponsored by Rushbond PLC in memory of Mark Finch, whose work with the company delivered some of Leeds’s most important historic and contemporary buildings.
- The People’s Choice Award – launched to mark Leeds Civic Trust’s 60th anniversary, inviting the public to vote for their favourite building completed in Leeds between 1965 and 2025
Transport
A few important updates in the world of transport this month…
Leeds City Bikes Presentation
At our Transport & Liveable Leeds meeting this month, we were joined by Chris Kirby (Active Travel Team Leader at Leeds City Council) who spoke to us about the Leeds City Bikes scheme. This is the first time Chris has joined us, and he gave a refreshing and very informative presentation that the group enjoyed. Chris discussed with us the main highlights of the scheme since its introduction in September 2023. The number of e-bikes available across the city has steadily been increasing over the past two years, with 500 bikes now available to use and close to 200,000 trips made. Unfortunately, the scheme has been affected by vandalism and theft, causing some docking sites to be suspended and fleets to be repaired. However, changes have been made to the e-bikes, as well as to docking stations, to try to mitigate crime. In the coming years, more docking stations are set to open under the scheme, which, along with the new safety measures, will hopefully see more people across Leeds cycling. The scheme has also very recently partnered with LNER, and the bikes will now have a red colour accent!
Mass Transit Talk
Chair of our Planning Committe, Mike Piet, attended a talk this month about the ‘Impact and Opportunities for Social Mobility because of Mass Transit’ organised by the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce. Staff from the Mass Transit team at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) were present, as well as other delegates from the council and other local companies. The talk concentrated on how mass transit can help social mobility in the City Region. It also discussed the shortage of key skills in the construction industry, which will be needed for the development of the tram in West Yorkshire. There has been early engagement between WYCA and the supply chain for this, but they are still writing their skills strategy. Given this timeline, it would unfortunately mean that those going to college now will not be around to help within the early years of the tram building programme.
Thanks for reading! – Alanah Coulson, Planning and Transport Officer
Also – a note from Mike, who will be away globetrotting in New Zealand for the next 3 months: “I am away on an extended holiday until the end of the year so my thanks to guest editors who will be writing the next few month’s Planning Matters – a chance for a different voice to be heard. Mike Piet.”
