Leeds City Council’s City Plans Panel has unanimously approved 217 new affordable homes on the Dyecoats Kirkstall Road Leeds site, bringing the city’s largest riverside regeneration scheme another step closer to completion. The reserved matters application for Plot 7 was approved 9–0 at the panel’s meeting on 5th March 2026, with councillors broadly supportive of the design.

The approved scheme delivers two residential blocks — one at 12 storeys and one at 14 — linked by a single-storey commercial building fronting Kirkstall Road. All of the 217 apartments will be affordable social rental housing, owned and managed by Clarion Housing Group, one of the UK’s largest housing associations. The mix includes 29% one-bedroom, 55% two-bedroom, and 16% three-bedroom units.

Latimer Developments, Clarion’s development arm, is behind the wider Dyecoats scheme, which spans 13 acres of brownfield land along the River Aire corridor. In total, the project is set to deliver up to 1,853 homes, of which around 40% will be affordable. Phase 1 is already under construction.

What Councillors Said

While the vote was unanimous, panel members pushed the developer on the quality of the Kirkstall Road frontage. Councillor Colin Campbell was critical of the streetside landscaping.

“I think Kirkstall Road is important and I think, particularly with these tall buildings, to ensure that there’s space that isn’t road in Kirkstall Road and isn’t a huge great looming building. And I’m looking at that landscaping. It looks pretty bland quite frankly, and uninspired.”

— Councillor Colin Campbell, speaking at City Plans Panel, 5th March 2026

However, the scheme overall drew positive feedback. Councillor David Blackburn echoed the Kirkstall Road concerns but was supportive.

“In general, it looks a good scheme. What they’re proposing to do with the rest of the green space looks good. So I support it.”

— Councillor David Blackburn, speaking at City Plans Panel, 5th March 2026

Councillor Peter Carlill said he had been reassured that residents would be able to see through the properties and access the riverside walk — something that hadn’t been possible for people living in nearby terraced housing in the past. Officers confirmed the landscaping concerns could be addressed through detailed planning conditions.

Part of a Bigger Picture

The Dyecoats Kirkstall Road Leeds scheme is one of the most significant housing developments currently underway in the city. The 13-acre former chemicals works sat vacant for over 30 years before Clarion acquired it in 2020. The masterplan, by Broadway Malyan, includes a riverside park, a pedestrian bridge to Otter Island, and ground-floor commercial spaces. Solar panels and air-source heat pumps are included as standard.

At the close of the meeting, Chief Planning Officer David Feeney announced his retirement after 36 years at Leeds City Council. Panel chair Councillor Julie Heselwood thanked him on behalf of all members.

Why this matters for Leeds

This approval moves Leeds’ largest riverside regeneration project forward with 217 homes that are 100% affordable social rent — a significant commitment at a time when demand for affordable housing in the city far outstrips supply. For the Leeds property and development community, it’s a benchmark for how brownfield sites can be unlocked at scale with a genuine affordable housing commitment..