Leeds student houses to be transformed into apartments for professionals and families
The property is being used as a model for potential future schemes
Four large student houses in Leeds are being lined up for conversion into apartments aimed at professionals and families.
Leeds property company Pickard Properties is looking to convert selected larger Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) into smaller numbers of homes as part of a strategy to create a broader mix of housing in Headingley.
The company, which owns and manages around 300 properties across Leeds, said it would consider properties individually rather than pursuing a blanket conversion programme.
The plans follow a £450,000 project to transform a former nine-bedroom student HMO at 187 Kirkstall Lane into three apartments.
The Kirkstall Lane property is being used as a model for potential future schemes, with the company saying it wants to retain the character of existing buildings while improving energy efficiency.
Miles Pickard, director at Pickard Properties, said the plans were not intended to move the company away from the student rental market.
He said: “Headingley has been an incredibly successful student community for many years and students remain a hugely important part of what makes the area what it is.
“They support its shops, cafés, restaurants and pubs and have helped create the vibrant and diverse local economy Headingley enjoys today.
“Our strategy isn't about moving away from that, rather recognising that carefully selected conversions can help create a more balanced mix of homes and broaden the range of people who can live here.”
The company said changes in the types and sizes of properties being sought by students had created an opportunity to look again at some of the larger HMOs.
It said converting some of the properties into a smaller number of flats could also reduce the number of occupants, waste generation and demand for parking.
Mr Pickard said some larger properties required significant investment and that converting them into apartments could be an alternative to returning them to use as family homes.
“The way people want to live is evolving,” he said.
“Energy efficiency, manageable living space and running costs are increasingly important considerations, while we are also seeing changes in the size of properties students are looking to rent.
“Simply returning a large HMO to use as a single family house isn't necessarily the answer. Some of these properties require considerable investment and are better suited to being sensitively converted into a small number of high-quality homes.”
Future projects are expected to follow the approach taken at Kirkstall Lane, including improvements to energy performance and the creation of homes intended for longer-term occupation.
Brianna Joseph, a tenant at the Kirkstall Lane development, said living in the apartment had changed her view of Headingley as somewhere to stay after university.
She said the area offered easy access to the city centre alongside shops, bars, restaurants, walks and other amenities.
“Having good-quality apartments like this definitely gives people more choice,” she said.
“It has made me think of Headingley not just as a student area but also somewhere to live as a professional.
“This flat definitely feels like an upgrade compared to my student house!”
Pickard Properties said it would continue discussions with Leeds City Council, local councillors and residents as it develops its plans.
Mr Pickard said: “We have invested in Headingley for generations and we want to continue working with the community and the council to make sure that investment responds to how the area and its housing needs are evolving.
“This is not about changing what makes Headingley special. It is about investing in its future, improving the quality and sustainability of existing homes, and creating more opportunities for people to put down roots in a community that continues to thrive.”