Images courtesy of ADP Manchester

Plans for a world class research and development centre close to the Parkinson Building in the centre of Leeds look set to be approved.

The University of Leeds submitted plans for its Integrated Campus for Engineering and Physical Sciences (ICEPS) in June 2017 and the designs will go before Leeds City Council's city plans panel on 31 August.

The planning report concluded that the panel should defer and delegate the decision to the chief planning officer for approval.

It said: "It is considered that the public benefits of the development, in enabling the university to deliver a step change in achieving the Universitys ambitions of world-class research and student education, outweigh the minor harm to the heritage significance of the building and its surroundings whilst alternative forms of development would be more harmful."

ICEPS would be a multi-disciplinary teaching facility with resources for research and student education in the engineering and physical sciences disciplines.

The new building would encompass new lab spaces specifically for the high specification equipment required to undertake modern research and enable growth in these areas.

It would consist of a new six-storey (plus a basement) building and the refurbishment of and new roof to the grade II-listed Old Mining Building. The facility would contain the highly technical laboratory, postgraduate research spaces, undergraduate teaching and academic offices.

The design and access statement said: "The Integrated Campus for Engineering and Physical Sciences is a unique and exciting opportunity at the University of Leeds.

"The project will deliver state of the art and exemplary facilities capable of supporting the longterm development of physical, bio-nano, computing and engineering sciences through enhanced educational and research facilities.

"This will enable a step change in achieving the universitys ambitions of world-class research and student education through the delivery of a flagship development."

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