Plans for a development of almost 150 homes on a former mill site next to the Leeds and Liverpool canal have been given the green light by council planners.
The Canal Mills site on Brandon Street, Armley, will see its unlisted buildings demolished and replaced by a mixed-use development. This includes 148 properties, consisting of 63 town house and 83 apartments set around an undercroft parking area.
The proposals also include seven commercial units, which would be a mix of retail, financial and professional services, and café use.
The plans also include new open space at the side of the canal, 159 cycle spaces and 137 car parking spaces.
Amendments have been made to plans which were first submitted three years ago, with scale of the proposed buildings reduced following objections.
A Leeds City Council planning officer’s report – which approved the proposals in principle, subject to a raft of conditions – said:
“The proposed development would deliver 148 residential units and seven commercial units on a sustainable, brownfield site close to the city centre, where a number of the existing buildings are vacant and in poor condition.
“It would also enable the refurbishment and reuse of a grade II-listed building, which will continue to define the Armley Road site frontage.
“The proposed residential use on this site is, on balance, considered to have an acceptable planning impact and is considered to be acceptable and in line with policies.”
Developers Rhodes Asset Management said in planning documents that some of the unlisted buildings on the site had “fallen into a state of disrepair” and pledged to restore the existing listed building. A planning statement said:
“The vision for scheme is to provide an attractive high-quality environment that grounds the new development in its environs and responds directly to the historic features and adjacent future developments.
“The aim is to create a unique sense of place that reflects the aspiration of the buildings and public realm to be an integral part in the regeneration of this area.”
In January 2019 WLD reported on a campaign to save Oddy Locks murals. An artist’s impression included with the plans shows the murals will be moved onto new buildings. A petition
The popular Canal Mills nightclub on the site closed in late 2019. The former textiles site dates back to the 19th century.
Plans for the site, which were submitted by Rhodes Asset Management, can be viewed in full here.
