Leeds City Council today granted a resolution to approve a full planning permission to national developer McLaren Living for Beck Yard, the new £85 million build-to-rent residential development in the South Bank Regeneration area, a rapidly emerging residential and mixed-use quarter, located in Leeds city centre.

Beck Yard designed by Carey Jones Chapman Tolcher (CJCT), will transform a vacant, former car park site into a vibrant, residential led neighbourhood, delivering 375 build-to-rent homes, comprising a mix of apartments.

Water Lane is anchored on high-quality public realm, landscaping and a mix of engaging communal and amenity spaces, focused on the resident experience, creating a sense of community and a sustainable thriving new quarter of the city.

The development includes 30,000 sq ft of external amenity space and 7,000 sq ft of internal amenity, featuring residents’ lounges, shared workspaces, gym, and events areas, with roof gardens on the 1st, 9th, and 14th floors.

At ground level there will be gardens with a rich biodiverse mix of plants to achieve net ecological benefits, while within the building a vibrant concierge area will provide a welcoming space to sit, relax and meet, which also connects to the residents’ gym.

The first-floor flexible amenity space connects directly to extensively landscaped communal space, along with co-working space, private dining area, and a spinning/ yoga studio, creating an integral part of residents’ experience and communal life.

Matthew Biddle, Managing Director, McLaren Living, said: “We’re extremely excited to move forward with our plans for Beck Yard and to work with Leeds City Council to deliver this landmark development, providing high quality yet attainable new homes to the city of Leeds.

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% over the next ten years. It is rapidly becoming a headquarters location and the arrival of Channel 4, the planned move to the city by the BBC, along with major corporates, demonstrate a bright future.

“Beck Yard is one of two schemes we’re committed to delivering in Leeds and we anticipate receiving strong rental demand for our high-quality experience-led living.”

Beck Yard and the wider area have a rich industrial heritage. The high-quality residential architecture and public realm will open up the historic Grade II listed Midland Mills and potentially connect directly to neighbouring development.

The proposed designs include solar PV across the site, while the development will also have excellent sustainable links into the city centre, local amenities, and great connections to local and national transport hubs. The proposals include around 220 cycle spaces and 46 car parking spaces, all of which have electric charging points from day one of occupation.

The South Bank is experiencing a circa £500m regeneration initiative, one of the largest city centre development plans in Europe. The transformation of the area will provide around 35,000 new jobs, 8,000 new homes and over 1.2 million sq ft of office space.

McLaren Living is under offer with a funding partner with development anticipated to commence in autumn 2022.