Hostel plan is on cards for listed Leeds building


PLANS have been drawn up for the conversion of a listed building in Leeds city centre into a backpackers’ hostel.

A company called R3 and Son is seeking permission from Leeds City Council for the scheme at the site on Queen Square, off Clay Pit Lane.

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Should its proposals get the go-ahead, the vacant Grade II listed building – formerly used as office premises – would become a hostel with four dormitories.

The firm says the maximum stay would be seven nights and expects many of its guests to be international students who need a base while looking for permanent accommodation in Leeds.

A statement submitted as part of R3 and Son’s planning application to the council says: “The hostel use is one which is not currently represented in [Leeds city centre].

“The applicants have gone to great lengths to identify the appropriate location for the hostel use, which would be near the universities and within the city centre.”

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The statement also says that the scheme should bring added “activity and vitality” to the area.