By John Baron
Plans to turn empty student accommodation in Kirkstall into accommodation for care leavers and homeless families have been approved by Leeds City Council planners.
Council chiefs want to lease four blocks of currently empty student accommodation at the former Kirkstall Brewery Residences, off Broad Lane, to provide temporary accommodation for young adult care leavers currently in education or training and homeless families.
Plans affect Abbey House, Walker House, Musgrave House, Canal House and The Maltings residences, which currently provide 242 bedrooms between them. The proposals were approved for a period of ten years.
A planning statement submitted with the application stated: “Leeds is experiencing high demand for homelessness assistance, accepting duties to assist approximately 1,200 households every quarter.
“The three main causes for homelessness in the city are households required to leave living arrangements with family or friends, an end of a private sector tenancy, and domestic abuse.
“Leeds has had a strong prevention model and is recognised nationally for its performance, but this model is now strained against the national backdrop of the housing crisis, cost of living crisis, utility cost increase and availability of affordable accommodation. A large number of landlords have sought to retire.”
The report added that there is a long wait time on the highest priority for social housing in Leeds, with the turnover of stock reducing, and stock numbers reducing due to right to buy sales. It says private sector rents have increased over 9% year on year.
Three main cohorts will be accommodated at the building, including:
- Care leavers who are in full-time education or training (including apprenticeships) and are over 18 years old.
- Care leavers who are in employment or seeking employment, and are over 18.
- Families being re-accommodated from temporary housing.
A council planning officer’s report published today approved the plans, despite 14 letters of objection. There was one letter of support from civic watchdog Leeds Civic Trust.
The report concluded: “The development is not considered to be harmful to the character and appearance of the area, nor would it have a harmful impact on highway safety.
“The development provides specialist affordable provision which weighs heavily in the balance of considerations. The scheme therefore provides much need affordable housing to meet the needs of the local authority within an established residential area whilst bringing a currently vacant building back into a viable use.”
The cash-strapped council hopes to save £1.5m in 24/25 and £2.2m in 25/26 due to reduced reliance on private bed and breakfast and expensive night by night accommodation.
Leeds City Council’s Children and Families department and student accommodation providers Cloverco Limited are the joint applicants.
The plans can be viewed in full here.
Background
The brewery complex was originally closed in 1983, bringing to an end a 150-year tradition of brewing in the buildings.
The site stood empty and unused until it the late 1990s when it became Kirkstall Brewery Student Village, part of Leeds Metropolitan University (Leeds Beckett University, as it’s now known).
The complex had been put up for sale in 2021. It features 828 student beds across 16 buildings, but its occupancy has steadily decreased as more students make use of city centre accommodation.
WLD first covered the latest proposals in March.