Leeds green light for Watkin Jones
Headrow House, formerly office space occupied by Direct Line, will be repurposed into 230 co-living homes with completion expected in 2028.
Occupied by the insurer until August 2021, Headrow House, at 42 The Headrow, is now vacant.
Residential specialist Watkin Jones said that when completed, the project will “deliver a supported communal living environment, offering high-quality managed homes for city centre living and will help to address the demand for rental accommodation that continues to outstrip supply in Leeds”.
The scheme will retain retail units on the ground floor of the 10-storey 1950s building.
Watkin Jones said that it will target BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certification with the project, where the key advisors are Swap Architects and planner Turley.
Facilities on offer to Headrow House’s occupiers will include a gym, shared kitchens and dining areas, a cinema, co-working lounge, library, laundry room and bicycle parking in addition to personal storage rooms.
Iain Smith, planning director at Watkin Jones, said: “We look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts with Leeds City Council and our local communities to address this growing demand, while also supporting our ESG targets as a business.”
Co-living as a model is still relatively untested in the Northern cities. In January this year, Manchester developer Colin Shenton’s Oppidan Life secured a consent for a 450-strong co-living proposal over 40 storeys in Sheffield, but it is in Manchester where the model has advanced furthest.
Vita Group completed the first phase of its Union development in March, while In October, Downing completed phase one of a 1,187-bed co-living project within its £400m Square Gardens masterplan.
Nearby Salford gave its first co-living consent a month earlier, to the 568-studio Enclave Salford by Progressive Living.
A commuted sum of £2.45m in lieu of on-site affordable homes was suggested by planning officers for Watkin Jones’ Headrow proposals. Documents relating to the scheme can be viewed on Leeds City Council’s planning portal with the reference 22/07525/FU.
