By David Spereall, local democracy reporter
Plans to build a new block of student flats close to the University of Leeds’ main campus have been unanimously approved.
Developers Torsion will build 183 apartments on Burley Street, close to the city centre, after demolishing a row of former shops between numbers 16 and 22 to make way.
The flats will be built across a new block that will slope from six storeys on one side, to eight on the other.
The proposals were backed by all councillors on Leeds’ city plans panel after a brief discussion on Thursday. Several members said the building’s design was signficantly improved from what had previous been on the table, when the scheme was first considered last month.
Conservative councillor Dan Cohen said: “Much of what we said last time has been taken into account and it’s good it’s been able to come back to us so quickly.
“I think a really good job has been done.”
Liberal Democrat councillor Colin Campbell previously claimed the scheme was “sub-standard” when the plans were last publicly scrutinised on October 5.
He’d expressed concerns about the size of the studio flats, most of which will be around 20 metres squared, as well as the design of the building.
Although the size of the flats remain unchanged and Councillor Campbell suggested the amount of green space linked to the development was “woefully inadequate”, he echoed Coun Cohen’s remarks.
He told the meeting: “I didn’t like the original application and I’m still not sure about the intensity of development on site, but that’s bye the bye.
“We asked specific questions of the developer, who’ve stepped up I think, quite frankly.”
Despite members of the community asking for the ‘Burley Beach’ mural on the side of number 16 Burley Street to be retained, the developers have said that is impossible because of the need to demolish the building.
Councillors were told that Torsion had committed to “recording” the existence and history of the mural, and would potentially display a dedication to it within the new block.
I hope that they are built within their own footprint. Or will the greedy developers want to take away pavements and road space for months on end to built right up to the edge of their land? This inconveniences loads of people.
Can the artist who did the mural recreate it on a different building nearby instead?