Leeds City College are planning to expand their campus by adding a new campus at Mabgate, Leeds.

The planning application has been submitted with plans to the currently derelict site, 275,957 sqft in size, into a site that hosts education and supporting services, a sports complex, and a residential development.

Leeds is in demand of student places and the college are needing to expand their city centre campuses to accommodate their student’s requirements. The plans are designed by Cartwright Practice, a Leeds-based architecture company.

The designs balance modern and innovative facilities for the students and wider community with the industrial heritage of the area the campus is located in.  The plans also include a multi-use games area on a roof top to be used for community purposes along with a residential block to accommodate a wide variety of residential properties.

Colin Booth, Chief Executive and Principle at Leeds City College, commented: “Our ambition in Mabgate is to deliver a campus which will enhance the learning experience of our students and be widely used by members of the local community. These new facilities will complement our existing city centre campuses and provide our students with much needed additional teaching space. The new sports complex will be an essential element of this project and establish Leeds City College as a destination for sport studies.

“The development will bring investment and regeneration to the area and is anticipated to act as a catalyst for further investment in this part of Leeds. We are thrilled to be bringing forward these plans and are asking members of the community to participate in our ongoing consultation to help shape the future details of the campus.”

Joanna Gabrilatsou, Director of Planning at consultants JLL Planning, commented: “The site has received a number of consents for housing schemes over the years, but this proposal would be beneficial to the city’s community, whilst regenerating a redundant brownfield site with state-of-the-art buildings.”

The application is currently open for public feedback on the outline plans prior to consultation until 13th September.