21-Storey Tower Set for Approval in East Leeds

Plans for a landmark residential scheme near York Road are recommended for approval, with councillors due to decide this week

A 21-storey tower with more than 200 apartments on the eastern edge of Leeds city centre looks set to be approved this week. Planning officers have recommended that councillors give the go-ahead to the 212-home scheme on land at Shannon Street and Marsh Lane, near York Road, when the council’s plans panel meets on Thursday 1 October. The development would bring new homes to a former industrial site currently used as a car park, adding to a wave of residential building reshaping the fringes of the centre. A final decision now rests with the panel.

Why This Matters For Leeds

City-centre housing on this scale matters to how Leeds grows, meeting demand while regenerating underused land. Turning a car park on a former mill site into 212 homes adds density, footfall and life to an area on the edge of the centre and supports the eastward expansion the city has long planned. There is an economic dividend too: the scheme is estimated to support hundreds of construction jobs while it is built. For ambitious housing targets, another substantial residential development coming forward is a sign of continued developer confidence in Leeds.

What Is Planned Near Leeds City Centre

The scheme would deliver 212 apartments; a mix of one, two and three-bedroom homes, across a stepped building that rises to its full 21 storeys facing Marsh Lane, stepping down to 16 storeys to the east and 12 to the north, with a terrace on the 15th floor. Residents would have access to a ground-floor reception and lounge, conference areas, and a gym and cinema on the first floor. The site, the former Shannon Street Mills, sits on previously developed land that officers describe as an accessible and sustainable location. The application is being brought forward by Credcoll Holdings, which owns the site and took over the scheme after the original developer, Zephyr X, was unable to complete a purchase of the land. The building has been designed by Leeds practice Brewster Bye, whose plans draw on the site’s industrial heritage with red brick and warehouse-style windows.

“Shannon Street and Marsh Lane is an exciting area of regeneration and growth, which will drive the city centre’s expansion eastwards, as well as better connecting the city to surrounding communities.”

— Chris Austin, Managing Director, Brewster Bye Architects

Part of the City’s Eastward Growth

The tower would sit within a cluster of development pushing the city outwards towards Quarry Hill and the York Road gateway, and is intended as a prominent landmark for people arriving in Leeds from the east. It joins a run of residential schemes coming forward around the fringes of the centre, from the South Bank to other build-to-rent and apartment projects. The planning report is not without caveats: it notes concerns raised about disruption to a nearby car park, which councillors will weigh alongside the benefits when they meet. But with officers recommending approval, the scheme looks likely to proceed. If it is given the green light, it will add another substantial block of homes to a fast-changing corner of Leeds city centre and reinforce the eastward shift in the city’s residential map.