Merrion Centre: 37-storey student block in Leeds city centre set to be approved
Plans for a 37-storey block of student flats at a Yorkshire shopping centre are expected to be approved by the local council.
More than 1,000 teenagers would be housed in the development in part of the Merrion Centre.
Developer Town Centre Securities sought permission for the scheme, set to be discussed by Leeds City Council’s city plans panel.
Council officers have recommended approval for the project at a meeting on Thursday (June 12).
A report to councillors said the project would boost plans to house more students in the city centre.
It said: “The development will contribute to an ever more vibrant city centre which will sustain the retail and hospitality sector.”
The project involves the redevelopment of Wade House and has been subject to a public consultation..
The new building would be visible from parts of the city centre, including Millennium Square, and provide 1,039 student bedrooms.
Planning approval would be subject to conditions including almost £600,000 towards nearby cycling and road improvements.
The report said plans for the scheme, close to the University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University and the city’s Art University, had been revised since first being proposed in 2022.
Study spaces, a gym and a karaoke room would be included in the complex, along with a lounge and breakfast area.