New Hall of Residence for Former BBC Studios?

12.18.21pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 22nd Oct 2004

Hyde Park Councillors have given a cautious welcome to proposals for a new student Hall of Residence on the site of former BBC Broadcasting House on Woodhouse Lane. The planning application, which has just been submitted, would create around 600 extra bedspaces for students just across the road from the University of Leeds campus. Leeds City Council's Plans Panel West met yesterday (21st October) and had initial discussions concerning the outline planning application for the development.

Councillor Kabeer Hussain comments "We have argued for some time that more purpose built student accommodation is one way to ease pressure on Headingley and Hyde Park, and in that spirit we welcome this proposal."

Councillor Linda Rhodes-Clayton comments "I'll be interested to see what decision the Plans Panel will come to over this application. On one hand it provides much needed student accommodation, but it's also quite an intensive development for this particular site."

The Liberal Democrats have been calling for some time for more purpose built student accommodation, and for planning applications for shared houses in Headingley, Hyde Park and Woodhouse to be resisted. The "ASHORE" area (Area of Student Housing Restraint) which borders the site of this application, has been proposed by the Council to tackle this problem.

The former BBC studios were vacated when the BBC moved to its new broadcasting centre in St Peter's Square.