Kirkgate Market in Leeds could get six-storey hotel complex

Artist's impression of the proposed Kirkgate Market hotel

Plans for a six-storey hotel complex featuring shops and a gym are set to be discussed by Leeds City Council.

The scheme at Kirkgate Market aims to contribute to the area's regeneration and increase footfall for traders, the council said.

Initial proposals for the site in George Street are due to go before the council's city plans panel on 22 June.

Subject to feedback, a full planning application is expected to be submitted in July.

The site is currently occupied by a number of vacant low-rise shops but could be developed into a 143-bed hotel complex with commercial units and a council-operated gym on the ground floor.

Leeds City Council said the design would respect the heritage of the Grade I listed building.

Planning permission for an aparthotel complex on the same site was granted in 2018 but has since expired after progress was hampered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council's executive member for economy, culture and education, said: "The proposed hotel would add another vibrant piece to the jigsaw by contributing to the regeneration of George Street and acting as a visually impressive linking point between Vicar Lane, the Eastgate roundabout and Quarry Hill.

"These plans also underline our commitment to the market and its future as a much-loved fixture on our retail scene that is now attracting more than 400,000 visitors a month."

Recent developments at Kirkgate Market include the creation of the Market Kitchen street food hall as well as an ongoing £10m project to repair, conserve and enhance the 1875 "blockshops", the oldest surviving structures on the site.

The council is also currently considering bringing a "container-style" food village to the market's outdoor area.