Plans to transform Leeds Victorian villa into student flats to be debated
A Victorian villa could be converted into student flats if plans are agreed with the council.
Permission is sought to turn grade II-listed Highfield Villa, on Hyde Terrace in Woodhouse, into 13 homes.
Leeds City Council is considering a planning application to create studio apartments in place of four existing flats.
A planning report said the villa was built in 1857 and was part of the Headingley Hill, Hyde Park and Woodhouse Moor Conservation Area.
It said: “Although the property remains an important visual component within the conservation area, its overall condition has deteriorated.
“The proposals therefore represent an opportunity to restore and reinstate the building’s contribution through a comprehensive programme of conservation-led improvement.”
Planning permission was first granted for the scheme in 2022, but lapsed after building work did not start within three years.
The project would see a rear extension at the site demolished and replaced with a new two-storey structure.
Students living in the flats would be close to the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University.
The report said: “The local area contains a mix of student, academic, health, residential and office uses.
“The site is in close proximity to the cities two main universities and is in a highly sustainable location, a short walk from the amenities of the city centre.”