Apartments plan at Leeds 'Megacentre' church

Plans to create 52 apartments at a church in Leeds have been submitted.
Hope City Church Leeds's 'Megacentre' on York Road. Pic: Google.Hope City Church Leeds's 'Megacentre' on York Road. Pic: Google.
Hope City Church Leeds's 'Megacentre' on York Road. Pic: Google.

The site at 32 York Road is Leeds City Council’s former library service HQ, which was converted to a medical clinic in 2006 and then Hope City Church in 2008, according to planning papers.

Proposals by developer Leeds City Apartments Ltd, published this week, reveal ideas for the homes, a retail unit and car parking.

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A statement by the developer reads that the site is “entirely appropriate for housing and a small retail unit”.

It adds: “The proposal will have no adverse impact on the highway network, and will provide sufficient car parking to serve the development. There are no economic or environmental reasons to prohibit development.”

The plans “should be approved without delay,” the planning statement reads.

If approved by Leeds City Council, the 52 homes proposed are to comprise a mix of one- and two-bed apartments and 200sqm of retail space.

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Hope City Church – a glass-walled 45,000sq ft building named the “Megacentre” – has operated its Christian services in Richmond Hill. Previously it ran at the Leeds Hilton Hotel.

Lead pastor Chris Denham said: “Hope City Leeds is very excited to announce the sale of our building.

"Completion on the sale will be finalised shortly and then we have an agreement to remain in the property for a period of time until we can secure a new venue which we are currently in negotiations with. I can’t comment any further on that for now until details have been confirmed.

"The sale and move has been something we have been praying and working towards since our property went on the market a couple of years ago.

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"The congregation is very excited about the move as it will allow us to continue to grow and expand as a church. Currently our services are at capacity every Sunday having grown steadily over the last 12 years we’ve been in Leeds. So a new building will give us more space to continue that growth.

"We are hoping that the closure of the Megacentre will coincide with the opening of our new building so that services will not be disrupted. All our community work in the area will also continue as we are working in partnership with a number of schools and local organisations that provide venues and facilities."