The Leonardo building, near Millenium Square in Leeds city centre, caught fire on the evening of 15 October 2022
The Leeds city centre fire at the grade-II- listed derelict building is believed to have been caused by plastic sheeting catching fire, which then spread to the scaffolding.
#LEEDS major fire just by the museum pic.twitter.com/em4VVKkKNr
— ꜱᴀᴍ (@samiscalm) October 15, 2022
The plastic sheeting was covering scaffolding as the building was undergoing renovations prior to the damage.
The Leeds city centre fire was contained quickly by emergency services
Police and paramedics attended the scene but as the building was vacant at the time of the fire, there were no injuries sustained.
The fire was reported around 19:30 BST at the building on Cookridge Street. Ten engines arrived and fire crews were able to contain the blaze to the top three floors.
Leeds City Museum, which is near the site, has confirmed that it sustained no damage in the incident.
The investigation is now ongoing into the causes of the fire, with West Yorkshire Police confirming that they are treating the incident as arson.
The site is intended to be student accommodation for next year’s intake
The former council building was to be renovated into student accommodation by Robertson Construction for developer McLaren Property.
Upon completion, the development will bring 473 bedrooms in total, with 255 bedrooms in the new build section and 218 in the refurbished section of the Leonardo building.
The project also includes amenity areas, a new rooftop terrace and incorporating the existing level surface car park.
The £62m project has already been underway for a year and was scheduled to complete next August in time for the 2023/24 academic year.
Robertson have confirmed the incident and is supporting the investigation by the police and fire services, as well as conducting their own examination of events.
