Leeds Urban Village
A £185 million residential-led, mixed-use development in Leeds
Location
North of England
Client
Cole Waterhouse and Tonia Investments Limited JV
Partner
DLG Architects, Exterior Architecture
Sector
Residential
Theme
Urban Regeneration, Community
Services Provided
A £185 million residential-led, mixed-use development delivering 1,012 new apartments along with a range of ground-floor commercial and amenity uses.
The scheme, which commenced on site in the June 2024, forms part of a wider urban regeneration programme and was developed to create a sustainable, walkable, and socially inclusive neighbourhood aligned with local policy priorities for low-carbon development and high-quality placemaking.
The site sits between Marsh Lane and Shannon Street and is arranged over five residential blocks, with a new 1.13-acre public green space situated at the heart of the site. The homes are a mixture of Build to Rent, Open Market Sale as well as Affordable Mixed-Tenure.
Our role
We have provided the full MEP and transport engineering services. The development was designed with high carbon reduction targets for planning and incorporated MVHR, Panel Heaters and ASHP Hot Water Cylinders. We developed a Transport Assessment
Originally planning approval was granted in 2022, the development was then subject to a Section 73 application to vary some details, including parking provision. As part of the application our work included an addendum to the submitted Transport Assessment.
Parking Strategy and EV infrastructure
We justified lower parking numbers using existing data and emerging trends, enabling development which prioritises sustainable modes in this city centre location. We engaged with the highway officers and liaised with the design team on vehicle tracking, highway design and ensuring sufficient access for articulated vehicles to adjacent Network Rail assets. The car parking provision was deliberately limited to 10% of residential units. All parking spaces were designed with 100% active EV charging provision from the outset. The parking strategy included basement car parking to reduce visual and spatial impact on the public realm and selected surface EV parking bays for convenience and flexibility. This future-proofed the scheme in terms of electric mobility and contributed to reducing carbon emissions from private transport.
Carbon Strategy and Policy Alignment
The Urban Village was developed in response to the city’s evolving carbon and planning agenda. A key aspiration from the outset was to target net zero carbon in operation, subject to viability and budget constraints.
A circular testing loop was established to assess passive and active design strategies against cost and carbon outcomes. The design team prioritised:
- High-performance building fabric
- Low-carbon heating systems
- Opportunities for on-site renewable generation
- Reduction of embodied carbon through structural and material selection
As part of the energy strategy, our team undertook a detailed assessment of connecting to the Leeds PIPES District Heating Network (DHN).
After thorough technical and commercial analysis, it was demonstrated that a connection would not be financially viable for this scheme. The findings were supported by cost modelling, utility coordination and lifecycle assessment, and an alternative low-carbon strategy was progressed to meet the operational energy and emissions targets.
Environmental Performance
Design decisions were made to ensure the long-term environmental performance of the homes, focused on passive strategies to manage internal comfort and reduce operational energy demand. Key measures included: avoidance of north-facing single-aspect homes, orientation and massing optimised for solar gain, daylight and ventilation, use of dual-aspect layouts where feasible to enhance natural ventilation, and fabric-first approach to thermal performance and overheating control. These strategies helped reduce reliance on mechanical systems and contributed to the overall sustainability credentials of the development.
