Savills secures planning permission for one of the tallest buildings in Leeds

The Merrion Project, a £100m investment that will replace an existing office block on Merrion Street, will deliver 87 self-contained postgraduate studio apartments and 573 undergraduate cluster apartments and independent studios, with commercial, leisure and cultural uses provided at ground and upper level. The project’s plans gained unanimous approval from councillors at Leeds City Council.

Extensive amendments to the public realm and local amenity spaces will also be provided in collaboration with Leeds City Council. The proposal is located in a highly sustainable location within walking distance of the City’s universities, restaurants, bars and public transport network.

Jay Patel, planning director at Savills in Manchester, says: “We are naturally delighted to have secured planning permission for our client in what will be a significant development for the city of Leeds. The Merrion Project was an application that showcased Savills’ strength in depth, with both our Manchester and Leeds planning teams working in close collaboration with our Heritage & Townscape team throughout. Our collective experience of working on complex applications across the region, coupled with our local insight and planning strategy advice, helped us to deliver a positive outcome which will deliver much needed student housing in the city centre, as well as commercial, leisure and cultural uses too.”

JJ Sarralde, associate director in Savills Heritage & Townscape team, adds: “The Merrion Project provided the perfect platform to work alongside our regional planning teams in what was a challenging site in terms of heritage context, with the Grade I Listed St John’s Church, the oldest church in Leeds, located opposite the site. By working together, the Planning teams and Heritage & Townscape team have shown the value of collaborative relationships, which has been recognised by the client.”

Once built, it will stand as one of the tallest buildings in Leeds and will be the first SimpsonHaugh tower in the city. The building is formed of a podium or ‘street building’ of part four and part 10 storeys and a tower on top rising up to 32 storeys in height. At its highest point, the building will be 99.8 metres.

Savills has led the planning process, working closely with both the architects and the Leeds City Council planning team.