Heritage group criticises plans for former brewery
Shops, flats and a multi-storey car park could be built at the site as illustrated by this image from the developer
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A heritage group has criticised plans for the redevelopment of an historic former brewery site in Leeds.
Leeds Civic Trust said proposals to remove original features from the former Tetley Brewery building were "entirely inappropriate".
Developer Vastint said it valued the trust's opinion and would work "collaboratively" to "allay any concerns".
Leeds City Council is expected to decide on the plans later this year.
The plans, which were unveiled in April, would see a one-story extension on the side of the main Tetley building demolished, with the original building refurbished and a new extension built.
Leeds Civic Trust director Martin Hamilton said the application's proposals to remove original features, including wooden panelling, doors and fireplaces, were "entirely inappropriate".
He added: “The proposed two-storey extension, which replaces the existing one-storey structure, which is believed to have been built at the same time as the original building, will dominate the existing building in a way that we cannot accept.”
The Trust, which "promotes the improvements of Leeds in the spheres of planning, architecture, heritage, and city amenities", has objected to the current proposals.
Mr Hamilton said the organisation was "not anti-development" and admitted the building "requires an upgrade".
The former Tetley's brewery, which is not listed, is shown in an image by the developer with a new two-storey extension
However, "it should be possible to retain the heart and soul of the last remaining remnant of the site’s brewing past", he added.
He called for "a sensitive and minimalist approach" to the building's redevelopment.
The brewery was the home of Tetley's beer-making in Leeds for nearly 200 years.
It closed in 2011 and was used as an art gallery until its closure in December.
In March, Kirkstall Brewery announced it would take on the lease of the building, which is not listed.
According to a heritage statement accompanying the application, the site has a "low heritage value".
It said the current proposals "strive to retain the most significant, principal elevations and architectural features".
Developer Vastint UK said it valued the opinion of the trust.
"We look forward to working collaboratively with Leeds Civic Trust and other key stakeholders to allay any concerns as we take our proposals for The Tetley forward," a spokesperson added.
There had been "significant research" carried out ahead of the plans being submitted with internal features being retained and the external design was "sympathetic" to the area, they said.
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