The investment partnership behind Get Living Plc, the UK’s largest build to rent operator, has submitted plans to Leeds City Council to transform Globe Road in the South Bank area of Leeds.
The investment partnership plans to invest £180m in a new five-acre residential neighbourhood of more than 780 homes for rent comprising studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments as well as family townhouses. The application proposes eight residential buildings linked by a series of new public spaces and a new Hub building overlooking the canalside.
Following public consultations with the local community, the lapsed planning consent granted to the previous site owner has been reconfigured to create a truly residential-led and green neighbourhood, which opens up Globe Road to the canalside and includes new public amenities.
The new design moves away from creating a single monolith and allows for new pockets of public realm to be created in-between the buildings. These spaces will be brought to life by a range of amenities – such as food stores, retails units and a gym – which activate the ground floor and streetscape. Residents will also be able to retreat to communal terraces found on the first floor of the development and the townhouses benefit from private gardens.
A key part of the proposed development is the Hub building, a pavilion that sits on the waterfront to the east of the site. This lighter structure with glazed facades includes restaurant space at ground floor, with co-working space positioned above offering a workplace destination for small and emerging businesses.
Architect Sheppard Robson, which has worked on other major development projects in the city including Wellington Place, drew up the plans to create inspiring new homes and sustainable public areas through the site.
Rick de Blaby, Executive Chairman, Get Living comments: “The South Bank area is one of the most significant regeneration opportunities in Europe, with the capacity for over 4,000 new homes and commercial development to create 35,000 new jobs. Our proposal is a significant investment towards this and commits us fully to the long-term growth and success of Leeds. We have listened carefully to the local community, then worked very hard to create these ambitious plans for a new green neighbourhood in the heart of the city.
“Our role will see us working alongside the Council and its own ambitious plans for the city, alongside businesses that need to recruit and retain staff and most importantly for the people of Leeds to deliver great homes set within new public spaces.”
The £180 million investment in Leeds is Get Living’s first venture in Yorkshire and will be its third location outside London. Get Living is the most established operator in the UK’s build to rent sector, with 3,000 homes across two London neighbourhoods; East Village E20 and Elephant Central in Elephant and Castle, and at New Maker Yards within Middlewood Locks – with further homes in development at High Street in Glasgow.
de Blaby adds: “We commit to our neighbourhoods for the long term, building vibrant, safe and well-managed places to live. More than 3,000 people now rent from us in East Village and, since we launched in 2013, we’ve helped foster a strong sense of community by supporting independent retailers, funding grassroots clubs and hosting free events. We are committed to bringing this neighbourhood-focused approach to Leeds.”
Subject to planning consent being granted, work on site would start in late 2019.
