An application for planning permission has been submitted to convert a Victorian school building on Hunslet Hall Road in beeston into ‘conference and banqueting facilities’.
The building, known as Hunslet Hall, has most recently been used by Leeds City Council as an area office for Adults and Children’s Services. The developers, IQW Developments Ltd, propose stripping out the modern internal walls and suspended ceiling to return the main central hall to it’s Victorian scale. Adjacent rooms will house a catering kitchen, staff rooms, toilets, etc.
The former playground can accommodate at least 80 cars and the applications states they plan for the building to be open 11am-11:30pm, but that it would be a ‘non-alcoholic venue’.
The change of use follows a trend locally which has seen the Beeston Hill and Dewsbury Road Social Clubs become banqueting suites, perhaps reflecting the lack of suitable venues to host large weddings locally.
The building, which is not listed, was originally built to accommodate Infants at the nearby Bewerley Street School at the end of the nineteenth century. It was later known as Hunslet Hall Road School, before being merged with Arthur Greenwood Middle School to form Greenwood Primary School. New Bewerley Community School now sits on that site.
As we reported, two years ago Kurdish House Leeds led a fundraising campaign to buy the building in order to create a community centre. However, Leeds City Council sold the building at auction.
You can read the full application here.
Comments on the planning application must be submitted by Friday 11 October 2024.
Photo: Google
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You wrote:
“it is not known who the current owners are.”
But the planning application lists the applicant as “IQW Developments Limited” – the directors of this company can be found on the companies house website.
Section 24 of the planning application form is a declaration that the applicant is the owner of the property. I would expect LCC would check this against the land registry as part of their due diligence activity.
Thanks for the clarification Rich, you clearly know more about planning law than your lowly reporter. I had assumed the application was submitted by the developer rather than the owner. My mistake, I’ve amended the article.
Two of my cousins used to go to this building when it was a school from about 1959 to 1964 before leaving as required when age 11 then attending a different one for 11 to 15 year olds , it’s good to know the building is still going to be used if planning application is approved