20/6/2012 Plans approved for 21-storey student tower

A multi-million pound student accommodation tower in Leeds city centre has received planning approval.

Property group Downing has received consent for a 21-storey student accommodation development, adjacent to its Central Village scheme, and will start on site early 2013 for completion in 2014.

The £25 million development will see Downing deliver 404 cluster bedrooms to the city’s strong student market. The tower will feature full height glazing at ground level, with light grey terracotta used to clad upper levels, to complement earlier phases of the scheme.

The building forms Phase 2 of Central Village – the £40 million first phase of the mixed-use development is due for completion in September 2012.

Downing has recently agreed a six-year lease with the University of Leeds for the 577-bedroom student accommodation element of Phase 1 of Central Village, meaning it is at full occupancy six months ahead of opening.

The property group has also secured a deal to bring national retailer Tesco to Central Village. Tesco Stores Ltd has signed a lease on a 4,500 sq ft retail unit in the scheme and will open a Tesco Express store in the autumn.

Paul Houghton, development director at Downing, said: “We’re committed to delivering the highest-standard student accommodation, offering the best housing at affordable pricing, and our plans for Phase 2 of the scheme deliver exactly that.

“We’ve been active in Leeds for a number of years and we know that there is a robust student market here that demands quality, city centre accommodation. The ambitious nature of our Phase 2 plans, plus the pre-let for Phase 1 is testament to that.”

Contractor George Downing Construction is building the entire scheme, which was designed by architects John McAslan + Partners.

Downing is the company behind Leeds’ award-winning Broadcasting Place student scheme, named Best Tall Building in the World by a global panel of architects and engineers in 2010.