A former Pudsey bank building could become the new base of an independent furniture and bed retailer if a new planning application is approved.
Leather Chesterfields has been specialising in Chesterfield suites for more than 25 years. The applicants also run Bankrupt Beds in Meanwood Road and House of Furniture in Otley.
They have submitted fresh proposals to Leeds City Council to take over the former Barclays Bank building, at the junction of Lowtown and Manor House Street.
They want to change the building, which is in the Pudsey Conservation Area, into a retail warehouse including first floor and second extensions with the addition of pitched roof and other external alterations.
Applicant Mr Shera Singh, of Leather Chesterfields, promised to create new local jobs in a letter accompanying the plans and added:
“We are looking to progress and become more visual on the high-street and we have a strong customer base over in west Leeds and the Pudsey area; however through our own research and geographical location we are not maximising our potential.
“we also understand there is very little in the way of competitors in the Pudsey area. We currently trade from our warehouse showroom in Leeds and could easily replicate the business’s success in a new location.”
As reported by WLD, an earlier proposal was refused by Leeds City Council planning officers last November due to concerns over ‘significant alterations to a building that is considered to have architectural merit within a Conservation Area’. Planners were also concerned over massing of the roof and an array of alterations to existing display windows.
An appeal against the refusal was dismissed by an independent Government planning inspector in March this year.
Similar proposals were also withdrawn by the applicant in March 2018 following planning officers’ concerns over windows.
The new proposals can be viewed in full here.
Once again this application should be dismissed for numerous valid reasons/spoiling a historic building etc.
The main reason should be on safety grounds , due to the new zebra crossing on robin lane traffic backs up on manor house street causing tailbacks on lowtown at the lights there.This business would need deliveries, customer access etc which would make these road safety issues much worse and cause more problems for local residents.
Sorry I can’t agree there. The crossing on Robin Lane has no impact on this whatsoever. Deliveries would be via the back on the Claremonts where there’s plenty of space – it’s where all the businesses in that area get deliveries, and in terms of parking there’s a car park off Robin Lane two minutes away. These plans look good and would bring a building back into use which would otherwise be left to rot. Why do people in Pudsey always feel the need to object to anything new?