Iconic Yorkshire Evening Post clock tower could be demolished for student accommodation

The plans could involve the demolition of the 52-year-old Yorkshire Evening Post clock tower, replacing it with a "major piece of public art".

Developers Urbanite Ltd want to build around 1,935 student flats on the Wellington Street site, which already boasts two recently-completed residential tower blocks.

"Building B" would be 30 storeys high, and include 550 student units, while "Building C" would sit at 25 storeys high and would include 320 apartments.

The plans are also expected to include a "riverside amenity space", which will connect the site to nearby Wellington Place, as well as a "major public square".

Under a section of the report entitled "Landscaping proposals", it stated: "It is proposed that the existing clock tower on the site, which is a legacy of the former Yorkshire Post use of the site, will be demolished and 'reinvented' as a major piece of public art which will also act as wind mitigation."

The tower, which displays the mastheads for the Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post, was part of the building which once housed the two newspapers. It once featured a large LCD display clock, which displayed the time and air temperature. The building was opened in 1970 by Prince Charles, but was vacated in 2014 and demolished shortly afterwards.

The plans will be discussed by Leeds City Council's City Plans Panel on Thursday, March 24.

As the plans are still at the early pre-application stage, no decsion will be made, as more detailed blueprints are expected to be submitted to Leeds City Council in the coming months.