Latest scheme will be BTR block with smaller commercial buildings at base

A 45-storey residential tower by Howells Architects in a growing cluster of planned tall buildings in Leeds has been given the green light by city planners.

The hexagonal block for McLaren鈥檚 property arm will provide space for 464 build to-rent (BTR) homes and will see two smaller office buildings also built.

The two adjacent blocks will be 14 and 15 storeys respectively and will have terracotta facades while the main building will be clad in white tiles. A sky lounge will be built on the 45th floor, McLaren said.

Wellington Square residential building (McLaren)

How the 45-storey Wellington Square tower will look when completed

Howells partner Dav Bansal said: 鈥淭he horizontal windows [of the BTR block] offer a better quality of daylight, panoramic views and flexibility of layouts.鈥�

Called Wellington Square, others working on the job include project manager and QS Gardiner & Theobald, heritage consultant ID Planning, M&E consultant Atelier Ten and facades and structural engineer Meinhardt.

Other consented schemes in the area include a 33-storey tower at the former Leeds International Pool site, a 42-storey student accommodation scheme at the former Yorkshire Post site and a 31-storey scheme at Skinner Street. Just to the north of the city centre at Merrion Way is a 45-storey student resi scheme called Cirrus Point.

McLaren is already working on a BTR scheme in the city, having begun work last summer on an 拢85m, 375-home scheme called Beck Yard.

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