- What Proposals for five blocks on a prominent plot near city centre
- Why Leeds City Council positive on redevelopment of problem site
- What next Plans to be determined in February 2020
The brownfield Hilltop Works site near the city centre, vacant for more than 50 years, is set to be redeveloped under plans put forward by Domus UK.
The developer and land acquistion company, headed up by sole Latvia-based director Aivars Kaupuzs, has submitted plans for 449 homes across five separate blocks ranging between six and 12 storeys. Along with the homes there will also be public realm in a central garden and courtyard along with around 3,000 sq ft of community space.
Existing buildings on the site, including the mill, chimney, and a cottage are all set to be cleared with the developer’s architect, Hester Architects, claiming these are in a “poor state” and are “not considered feasible for retention”. However, an existing stone boundary wall is to be retained and
The firm’s attempt to redevelop the site follows a similar planning application, put forward in 2015 by developer Stage One Developments; this featured 269 homes and was refused by Leeds City Council in a dispute over affordable housing numbers and Section 106 contributions.
Domus’s team argued the fresh proposals would be deliverable and viable, with the number of apartments needing to be increased significantly “in light of the high level of abnormal costs associated with developing such a site, such as demolition, remediation of contamination, repair/re-building requirements of extant heritage features, the challenging topography of the site, [and] underground parking/basement works.” WYG advised on planning.
Domus UK is controlled by US-based George Rohr and Moris Tabacinic. Previous projects include Liverpool’s Stowell-Brown House, a student accommodation scheme which was sold to a US-based fund on its completion in 2015.
Leeds City Council is aiming to determine the application by February next year.
