Pickard Properties’ landmark Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) development, Carlton Hill, has been shortlisted for a prestigious placemaking award.

Carlton Hill, which is a highly sustainable, student wellbeing-focused apartment complex, has been named as a finalist in the Student Accommodation Scheme category at Insider Media’s Yorkshire Placemaking Awards.

The 604-bed scheme, which is close to the city centre and both University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett, opened to its first student residents at the start of the 2023-24 academic year.

One of the most sustainable student schemes in the city, having secured an EPC A rating, Carlton Hill has been designed and built to reduce carbon emissions as well taking advantage of its location.

It is an all-electric development that is future-proofed to benefit from continued growth of renewable energy supplies. In addition, from the outset almost half of its power requirements will be provided by low or zero carbon technologies, including from a large solar PV array and Air Source Heat Pumps.

Carlton Hill supports Leeds City Council’s ’20-minute neighbourhood’ initiative. It has been designed to have no car parking for residents to encourage the use of sustainable local transport and has extensive pedestrian access and routes to the city centre and the close-by university campuses.

Carlton Hill has also been designed to encourage student wellbeing, offering high quality living and social spaces for residents with larger than standard bedrooms and living spaces, a well-equipped gym and incorporating fully landscaped ‘sky gardens’ as well as a roof terrace for outdoor social activities and relaxation.

Pickard Properties has a long history in student accommodation in Leeds. The Carlton Hill scheme replaced a smaller, 239-bed Pickard Properties-owned student residence and the company also has in the region of 300 residential properties it owns and lets, many of which are home to students studying in the city.

The awards take place on 13^th June at black tie dinner being held at the LIFE Centre Events in Bradford.

Miles Pickard, director of Pickard Properties, said: “We are exceptionally proud of Carlton Hill and that it has achieved recognition from the Placemaking Awards judges. We wanted to create a PBSA scheme that had a long-term positive impact on our city, both in terms of the quality of accommodation that meets the requirements of the latest generation of students, but also enhances Leeds and its ambitions to be a greener, more sustainable place.

“Working closely with Unipol Student Homes, which leases and runs Carlton Hill, we have been able to create a new community with a wellbeing-focused environment. We are looking forward to the event and hope Carlton Hill picks up the award.”