Leeds: Housing plan for mill complex put forward

Commercial space for shops, which was built into the original scheme, was removed from new proposals to build houses on the Canal Mills site in Armley

Plans to build more than 100 homes on a former textile mill complex next to the Leeds-Liverpool canal have been submitted.

Canal Mills in Armley, which dates back to the 1800s, could be demolished with houses built on the space instead.

Last year, planning permission was given for 148 new homes to be built on the site, most of which would have been apartments.

But developers said they now want to build 103 townhouses instead.

A planning and heritage statement attached to the new application said: "Following a review of the previous proposals, it is now intended to bring a long-term vacant site back into use to provide residential development and contribute to the requirement for additional housing in Leeds."

Developers said they wanted to create "a high-density development of high quality two or three-bed town properties on the canal frontage, to maximise views where possible".

Murals on the walls of Canal Mills which depict various local industries and features would be retained developers said

The mills closed in the mid-20th Century as Leeds' textile industry declined, and the buildings were sold to the furniture manufacturing Solk family in 1960. The business was liquidated in 2018.

A popular nightclub and live music venue also ran on the site between 2012 and 2019.

The new plans include parking space for 78 cars and 307 bikes and electric vehicle charging points, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Developers said murals, which line the mill walls on the canal side of the site would be "safely removed" before demolition, retained and put up again elsewhere at a later date.