500 new homes proposed for wasteland off Leeds Kirkstall Road

More than 500 homes could be built on a vacant plot of land under plans to be considered by the council.

Developer Forshaw Group has drawn up early stage plans for a housing and retail scheme on Kirkstall Road.

The scheme would create 509 mainly one and two-bedroom flats at the site.

Members of the council’s City Plans Panel will be asked to comment on pre-application proposals at a meeting on Thursday (July 10).

A report to the meeting said the land on the corner with Viaduct Road was previously occupied by engineering firm Thyssen Krupp.

The company vacated the site after it was hit by flooding in 2015.

The report said: “The proposal comprises a residential development of between 12 and five storeys across five blocks with some ground floor commercial uses as well as associated landscaping, green spaces and car parking.”

Proposals for the site had already evolved during a series of pre-application talks with the developer.

The report said: “The emerging proposals offer the opportunity to develop a large, cleared brownfield site in a prominent and sustainable location which has been vacant for approaching a decade.”

The site was close to the city centre, schools and transport links, said the report.

It said: “The proposed development of 509 units is unlikely to exceed the capacity of local infrastructure or services.”

A report and presentation will be given to councillors at the panel meeting at Leeds Civic Hall.

Members will be asked for their views on the layout, size and location of the development, ahead of full planning permission being sought.