Plans for a new hotel and gym to be built around Leeds Kirkgate Market has been given the green light by the council.
It comes after Leeds City Council submitted a planning application in the summer for the hotel scheme on the George Street side of the Grade I listed market building.
Yesterday, Thursday 30 November 2023, the application won unanimous support at a meeting of the council’s city plans panel.
The decision means that construction work will start next year, with the council having already agreed a pre-let lease with hotel operator Premier Inn.
The exciting new development will include a council-run public gym, delivering improved access to top-class fitness facilities for people living and working in the city centre.
It is hoped that the transformation will provide another notable success story for an area that has undergone significant changes in recent years, including landmarks such as Victoria Gate and the newly refurbished Leeds Playhouse.
Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, culture and education, said: “The plans panel’s support for the George Street scheme represents another important milestone in the regeneration of the area around Leeds Kirkgate Market and beyond.
“Leeds city centre is already a vibrant, attractive place to visit, but we want to make it even better – and the new hotel will help us achieve that aim, providing a stylish linking point between Vicar Lane, the Eastgate roundabout and Quarry Hill.
“The scheme also underlines our commitment to ensuring the market retains its position as one of the jewels in the city’s retail crown.”
Paul Smith, acquisitions manager for Premier Inn owner Whitbread, said: “We are extremely proud to have been named as the operator of the George Street hotel.”
The hotel will fill the top five floors of the new building, with 143 rooms as well as a bar and restaurant for guests. It is believed that the hotel will create approximately 50 new full and part-time jobs, with around 80 jobs being supported during construction.
Featured image – Leeds City Council
