by Don Mort, local democracy reporter
Plans to create a 27-bed shared house have been blocked after the council said it would offer a ‘poor standard of living’.
Permission was sought to convert a former student housing block in Armley into a house in multiple occupation (HMO).
The applicant, ITSIMPLE Group, said shared kitchens and living rooms would be provided in the proposed development on Mistress Lane.
A change-of-use and conversion of the building would have seen it scaled down from its use as student block Armley Manor, which had 31 beds.
A design report said most rooms would be en suites and cycle stores would be provided for the occupants.
It said the scheme would be an “efficient use of an existing building which will provide an affordable accommodation option for many people, particularly young professionals and key workers.”
But Leeds City Council raised concerns over a lack of communal spaces if the scheme was given planning permission.
A planning officer’s report said: “As such, this would offer a poor standard of living conditions for future occupants and this harm would attract substantial weight against the scheme.”
The council was also concerned about a lack of light for people living in the three-storey HMO, and noise from a nearby car park.
The report said: “The scheme would not offer a high-quality provision of external private amenity space, particularly for the number of occupants proposed.
“This is exacerbated by the poor provision of internal private amenity space.”
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Some of my pals used to live here in much worse conditions than how its presented now!
I use to live there when it was a children’s home,!