Former police station to be transformed into flats

A former police station in Leeds is to be demolished to make way for the construction of over 100 flats.

Weetwood Police Station, on Otley Road in the north of the city, ceased operating in 2020 and developers had proposed a new building for the site containing 127 flats and ranging between four and six storeys in height.

Adel Neighbourhood Forum had previously raised objections to the plans over the size and design of the building and road safety on the nearby Lawnswood roundabout.

However, Leeds City Council approved the redevelopment of the site on 15 April after Weetwood Developments Ltd agreed to a number of planning conditions.

Concerns had also previously been raised about the applicant's contribution to affordable housing, but council planning officers recommended that the scheme be approved.

The new development would include a work-from-home area, roof terraces and solar panels, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In a design statement submitted in 2022, Weetwood Developments Ltd said the new residential population would create "additional activity and spending on local services and amenities".

Since the police station closed, the two existing buildings on the site had been used as a temporary base for TV production and a nursery and creche.

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