Tetley Hall

An image showing a disused building at Tetley Hall complex in February 2018.
Disused building in the Tetley Hall complex in February 2018.

Tetley Hall was a catered hall of residence located in Headingley at the University of Leeds, England. It housed around 218 students in one main block, composed of two sections, Woodhouse and Heathfield, two Victorian buildings, Moorfield Lodge and Moor Grange, and four additional houses, Burton Grange, Burton Lea, the Cottage, and Moor Road House. The site was sold for around £8 million in 2006[1] and is no longer used for student housing. The last academic year to live there was 2005/06. In the first term of 2007/08 one of the houses, Moor Road House, was used as temporary accommodation due to the shortage of normal university accommodation.

History

The first owner of Moorfield Lodge was J.W. Oxley who inherited the property from his wife in 1867. Moor Grange was owned by William Hall who was prominent in the affairs of the Leeds School of Medicine. The University's Annual Report of 1949-1950 records the purchase of these houses with grounds of almost 4 acres (16,000 m2), with the intention that they should be incorporated into a large hall of residence. Plans and estimates were approved for the conversion and in 1951 it was resolved to accept a recommendation by the Vice-Chancellor that it might be appropriate for the new hall to be named 'Tetley Hall' in recognition of the long standing association between the Tetley's family of Leeds Brewers and the University.

Burton Grange was bought as an annexe in 1953 and plans were initiated for a large scale conversion and enlargement of the main buildings, in view of the increase in student numbers. Burton Lea was acquired in 1954 and, on the strength of a possible grant of £30,000, the enlargement of Tetley Hall got under way. The first stage - the new dining room block, to accommodate 85-100 students, was opened by the University Chancellor H.R.H. The Princess Royal in July 1958. By 1962 the Woodhouse and Heathfield wings were completed and, with 160 students, Tetley was the largest women's hall in the University. About this time the university planned to demolish Moorfield Lodge and Moor Grange and replace them by a further purpose-built block to complement the Woodhouse and Healthfield wings on the other side. However a timely conservation order placed on both Victorian properties by Leeds City Council prevented this happening. After the extensions had been completed in 1962 the grounds were remodelled and landscaped, effectively uniting the houses and the new blocks together as a single community

In September 2011 planning applications to redevelop the site were submitted by Pickard Properties whose proposals included replacing the halls of residence with a care home, houses and several blocks of flats. A report to councillors regarding previous proposals described the main building as being of "no architectural merit", but local residents objected to these plans and they were rejected.[1][2] In March 2012 it was reported that the UK Border Agency were proposing to use the site as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 "Leeds historic hall set to be torn down for housing". Yorkshire Evening Post. 12 May 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  2. ↑ "Rejected student halls proposal may be put back on the agenda". The Yorkshire Post. 27 April 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  3. ↑ "Leeds asylum seeker hostel bid EXCLUSIVE". Yorkshire Evening Post. 21 March 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2018.

Coordinates: 53°49′37″N 1°34′42″W / 53.827°N 1.57822°W / 53.827; -1.57822

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