Work commences on £12m student development in Leeds city centre

Work has now commenced on a new £12m student accommodation scheme on Cookridge Street in Leeds city centre.

YPP, the Leeds-based property company, is developing the site into a part six and part eight storey building, that will house 96 self-contained student apartments, designed by Brewster Bye Architects.

The student scheme will also offer two ground floor retail units, a lettings office that will be occupied by YPP, and a wide range of communal facilities for residents including a lounge, gym, cinema room and study area.

The Broadley Group has been appointed as the main contractor and work has already seen a derelict building demolished that was previously home to Australian themed bar chain Walkabout.

Piling works are nearing completion and the building’s concrete frame will be constructed over the next few months beginning early May.

The development is due to complete during summer 2018, in time for the start of the 2018/19 academic year.

Omar Al-Nujaifi from YPP said: “Seeing work start on this major development is great news for everyone involved in the project as well as the Cookridge Street area as a whole, because it will breathe new life into a formerly derelict site that had stood empty for nearly four years.

“It’s also a coup to be working with so many fellow Leeds companies on the project including Brewster Bye Architects, The Broadley Group, Indigo Planning and Adept Consulting Engineers, who all bring a wealth of local knowledge to the table.”

Chris Austin, managing director at Brewster Bye Architects, commented: “This development is specifically designed to offer some of the best student accommodation in the city, within a landmark building that complements its surroundings.

“There’s no doubt it’s going to be one of the city’s most sought after student addresses, just off Millennium Square and within easy walking distance of both the city’s universities, and we’re delighted that work is underway.”

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