Leeds Construction Boom Continues With New Project

The construction boom in Leeds is continuing as another new city centre residential project has been granted planning permission.

Developer McClaren Living has got the green light for an £85 million build-to-rent scheme at Beck Yard in the South Bank regeneration area, just south of the River Aire.  Featuring 375 apartments, the new development will also provide a gym, residents’ lounges, shared workspace and extensive amenity space indoors and outside. There will also be rooftop gardens on the 1^st, 9^th and 14^th floors.

The South Bank area is gradually being transformed from an underused post-industrial area into an extension of the city centre through this and other residential and commercial projects.

Demand for steel cladding sheets and other construction materials in Leeds may continue to be high, despite the Bank of England’s forecast of an upcoming recession, as developers such as McClaren Living see a highly positive future for the city.

Managing director of the firm Matthew Biddle said:  “It’s an excellent time to be working in the city. Leeds is one of the UK’s fastest growing cities, forecast to grow by 21 per cent over the next ten years.”  He added that this is being driven by the rising status of Leeds as a “headquarters” city for major firms, as well as the fact Channel 4 is relocating there and the BBC is increasing its presence.

Leeds has already seen its population increase from 751,000 to 812,000 in the decade to 2021, according to recently published Census figures. A 21 percent increase would raise this to almost a million.

Other potential major projects in Leeds include a trio of towers, the tallest of them rising to 42 storeys, planned for the former site of the Yorkshire Evening Post headquarters by student accommodation developer Urbanite. It submitted a planning application to the city council earlier this month.