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Investigating a potential migrant accommodation in Leeds.
Oct 14, 2025
LB investigates at: Mary Morris House 24 Shire Oak Rd, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 2DE. I went to visit this current student accommodation after revelations in the media this could be turned into an accommodation for migrants. I visited to see if there was any substance behind the article I was sent... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3dr58z3jxko I had a little chat with the staff (who I've blurred out because as I state in the video I do have some empathy for them, as they could end up losing their jobs due to the contract) who couldn't comment on the matter. I also speak to a few people on the street and get their thoughts on the matter.
View Video Transcript
0:00
Hey up and welcome to the channel. Today
0:04
I'm in Leeds in Hedinley going to have a
0:07
look at Mary Morris House and it is a
0:11
student accommodation with
0:14
45
0:16
apartments
0:18
with two to eight bedrooms in each.
0:22
So altogether it's got about 247
0:26
bedrooms.
0:27
Rooms are fully furnished with communal
0:29
kitchens, living spaces, and vintage
0:32
style interiors.
0:35
There we go. There's a sign.
0:38
It cost students approximately
0:41
£91
0:43
per week to live here.
0:47
So that'll be money that taxpayers are
0:49
going to be paying if the BBC news
0:52
article
0:54
is true, which is the one I've put on
0:56
screen
0:58
just now. I'm just going to have a quick
0:59
walk around in the publicly accessible
1:02
areas
1:04
and then I will hopefully have a chat
1:07
with reception.
1:16
So we have got
1:20
a publicly accessible pathway.
1:26
We'll walk around see if we see any of
1:29
them blue scoders. Have got a push back
1:33
which is one of the students which is
1:34
still living here. There is no time
1:36
scale of when this place is going to be
1:39
closed.
1:41
So but it is quite a big facility.
1:46
So, I'm not going to go too far because
1:47
I don't want to look in people's
1:49
bedrooms
1:51
if they are students.
1:57
So,
2:00
we'll head back round
2:02
to
2:04
the entrance.
2:24
Hey,
2:54
Hello.
2:55
Hello. Is this the office?
2:56
It is. Yeah.
2:58
I'm just going to pause the video there
3:00
for a second. Um, I have blurred the two
3:03
females out in the office because I do
3:06
have a bit of empathy for them because
3:07
if the whole contract does go ahead,
3:11
then they're potentially going to lose
3:12
their jobs as well. So, that is why I've
3:16
blurred their identities.
3:18
So, we'll carry on with the video now.
3:21
I'm just doing a story on the
3:23
accommodation today.
3:24
Why?
3:25
Because the news reports in the BBC,
3:28
right? Okay. But you don't were you from
3:30
the media or something?
3:31
Yes.
3:32
Yeah. We can't comment on it. We can
3:33
only give you the press the email
3:34
address.
3:35
Yeah, that's fine. I was wondering if
3:36
you could like um what is the date of
3:39
closure or are you actually going to be
3:40
closing for the
3:41
closing? We've got students living here
3:43
all year. It's just an application
3:44
that's been put in by the home office.
3:45
We've got nothing to do with it. Like
3:47
we're literally running it as student
3:49
housing all year.
3:50
Yeah. No. That's that's what I'm here to
3:52
just to find out um see when there's if
3:54
there's a closure date like what's going
3:56
to students if it's going to get kicked
3:58
out.
3:58
No, they're not getting kicked out.
4:00
That's fine then. Um so I'm only here
4:02
just to just to check on the in the area
4:03
you see.
4:04
Yeah, I know. Well, yeah, it would
4:05
appreciate if you left cuz it's
4:07
obviously
4:07
Yeah, that's absolutely fine.
4:08
Yeah. Okay. Okay. Thank you.
4:10
No worries. Brilliant. Thank you. See
4:11
you later.
4:22
So it is just an application at the
4:24
moment. There is no word of it. They can
4:27
give me the press email address and that
4:30
is about it
4:32
for the accommodation. If I see anybody
4:35
on the street, I will I will ask them
4:38
about the uh
4:41
about what's going on.
4:44
So, I've left the building and then
4:47
while I was on the street, I thought I
4:49
would ask a couple of people who are in
4:52
the area in the vicinity what they
4:54
thought of the matters. And this is what
4:56
you'll see now. I asked four people,
5:00
two of the older generation and two of
5:04
the younger generation.
5:07
So, we'll see what they say now.
5:13
Hia, morning. Um, I just let you know I
5:16
am I am recording. Just uh just want to
5:18
ask you some questions on the
5:19
application which has been put on the
5:20
student accommodation.
5:22
Don't know what you're talking about.
5:24
Oh, there's an application being put in
5:25
for the student accommodation to be
5:27
turned into uh migrant housing. I was
5:29
wondering if I can get your opinion on
5:31
on knowing that.
5:33
Great.
5:33
Yeah.
5:34
Okay. No, that's it. Do you have
5:36
anything else to say or
5:37
they need home stay with them as well?
5:39
So,
5:39
brilliant. No, it's a second.
5:43
So, this first guy, he thought it was
5:45
great and they needed somewhere to live.
5:47
So, happy days. That's his opinion on
5:49
the matter. Job done.
5:52
Sorry. Do you mind first ask you a
5:53
couple of questions? I'm I'm recording.
5:56
Um, where are you?
5:57
Pardon?
5:57
Who are you?
5:58
Uh, just a citizen journalist doing a
6:00
story on a a premises down here today.
6:04
You mean on the uh Mary Morris?
6:06
Yeah.
6:06
I'm walking down the road. Yeah. Um,
6:09
what
6:09
I've got a bus to catch.
6:10
Oh, no worries. I'll I'll walk with D if
6:12
that's okay.
6:12
Yep.
6:14
What are your opinions on that now
6:15
becoming potentially
6:18
housing for illegal migrants?
6:20
Not impressed at all. Um, it's the wrong
6:24
place for it. You know, the there are
6:28
245 bed spaces.
6:30
Yep.
6:31
And uh you imagine 245 people with no
6:36
work. Yep.
6:38
Um
6:39
just really lightering around the area.
6:43
Yeah.
6:43
Um
6:45
and we've got a nursery at the bottom,
6:47
an old people at home at the bottom.
6:50
Yeah. So, one of my major concerns is it
6:52
being a hugely populated student area
6:54
and there might be some lone females out
6:56
on the night and
6:57
Exactly.
6:57
potentially things could happen.
6:59
Well, that's what I was coming to.
7:00
You've got the um the off the run here.
7:04
So, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and
7:07
sometimes Sunday, you've got scantily
7:10
clad young girls walking along there.
7:14
And these men are from
7:16
countries where they um they keep the
7:19
women covered up.
7:21
Yeah.
7:22
And uh
7:24
so you can imagine there could be
7:26
trouble.
7:26
Yeah,
7:27
there could be trouble. And uh so
7:30
definitely uh not in favor. Are you
7:33
going to put a application in against
7:34
the planning?
7:35
You can't.
7:37
It's on the um on the news article I
7:39
read off the BBC. I'll just uh I've got
7:42
it up here and it says u lead city
7:45
council and local residents are being
7:47
engaged in consultation. No decision
7:49
decision yet expected 25th of October.
7:52
So there might be ways to maybe speak to
7:54
the local MP or the local council.
7:57
Council have been has been round to
7:58
every house.
7:59
Oh, let you all know what's going on.
8:01
Yes. and and ask for our view just like
8:03
you're doing. And um but there's no I
8:07
don't think there's any you can't it's
8:09
not like a planning application. You
8:10
can't you can't put in a an objection.
8:13
There's no uh there's no mechanism for
8:15
that as far as I'm aware.
8:18
So it it could be that the home office
8:21
if they've got to get this certificate
8:25
of um of lawful use to change it. I
8:29
think um I think somewhere it did say it
8:31
has already
8:32
it's already got it.
8:33
Um let's open the BBC article up.
8:37
Um
8:41
um we hope announcement of these
8:43
details. Where is it? It did say
8:47
somewhere they are continuing to work
8:48
closely with stakeholders across the
8:50
country and other government
8:50
departments.
8:54
But I'm pretty sure it did say they have
8:55
uh sorted out some planning. If they've
8:58
got that, then it then it's it's they've
9:00
done the job.
9:02
Oh, the home office has submitted a
9:03
planning request for a certificate of
9:05
proposed lawful development.
9:06
That's what I'm saying.
9:07
So, there might be a way to um
9:10
uh contest that on the home office
9:12
portals in the lease planning portals
9:14
and stuff.
9:14
I don't know. They are
9:16
right. No, I don't keep you bus anymore.
9:17
Are you on a stu student newspaper? Is
9:19
it or something?
9:20
No, just um like YouTube citizen
9:22
journalism.
9:23
Yeah. Oh, right.
9:24
Right. Brilliant. Anyway, I won't keep
9:25
you long for your bus. Thank you very
9:26
much for talking to me. You're very
9:27
welcome.
9:27
Yeah. See you later years now. What What
9:29
have other people told you?
9:31
This is just what I found out has only
9:33
been out of the news has only been out a
9:34
couple of days. So,
9:36
you mean have you spoken to anybody else
9:37
yet?
9:38
Yeah, I've just been in to the
9:39
accommodation to speak to them and they
9:40
said they cannot um give dates or
9:42
anything that just I can only general
9:45
view about it.
9:46
So, I've only spoke to you and a
9:48
gentleman with a walk and a dog and he
9:49
says, "Yeah, I'm happy for him to be
9:51
here."
9:51
Really?
9:52
Yeah.
9:54
So, right. Anyway, enjoy your day. Thank
9:56
you for talking to me.
9:57
Bye.
9:59
So, as you heard then from that local
10:01
resident, he's not happy at all due to
10:03
the scandal clad women on the run and
10:06
the fact there is a nursery and all
10:08
people's home nearby in the area.
10:12
H just so you know I I am recording.
10:15
Yeah.
10:15
Um I just want to if my okay to ask you
10:17
a couple questions for a couple minutes
10:19
about something going on in the area and
10:21
just get your like local opinion. Are
10:22
you like students living around the
10:23
area? bit over that way but yeah
10:25
no worries. Um like with the hotel with
10:28
the accommodation down there I think is
10:30
it Mary's
10:32
with the there's an accommodation down
10:34
there student accommodation and the home
10:35
office have got plan applications and
10:37
put in to turn it into housing for like
10:40
the illegal migrants.
10:42
I was wondering what's your your
10:43
opinions on it. I'm just speaking to
10:45
like local people to get their like no
10:47
good or bad
10:49
either or
10:50
I think it's good. Yeah. I'm not a I'm
10:53
not a racist. I'm not a No, there's
10:56
nothing protest.
10:57
No, there's nothing nothing to say
10:58
you're being racist or you're not being
10:59
racist. It's just your general opinions
11:00
and thoughts on the matter.
11:02
I think it's good. It's nice that
11:04
they're housing them. It's nice that
11:06
they're giving them decent living
11:08
facilities. I'm glad that they're giving
11:10
them somewhere to stay.
11:12
I hope that I hope that people don't go.
11:15
Yeah. Let's hope no one starts
11:16
protesting cuz
11:19
I don't.
11:19
Yeah. I'm just getting like local
11:20
opinions on what's I've spoken to a
11:22
gentleman. He's heavily against it due
11:24
to being a nursery and the Oly run going
11:26
on and scandal clad girls and things.
11:28
Is that not already like I feel like
11:29
that's an issue separately? Surely like
11:32
I think I'd be more scared about people
11:34
on the run than I would be innocent
11:36
migrants who are just like in a house
11:38
trying to like be safe from war in their
11:41
own country, you know? Like what?
11:44
No, but it's just like protect people
11:47
who clearly can't be protected in their
11:49
own place.
11:50
Okay, brilliant. Thank you very much for
11:52
talking to me.
11:53
Sorry for Don't mind about that. Thank
11:55
you very much.
11:56
No, I'm good. Thank you. Enjoy your day.
11:57
You, too.
12:00
So, with these two, they're happy for
12:02
them to stay and be housed. So, I'm not
12:06
pushing a narrative on anybody. I just
12:09
want their general opinion. and they
12:11
think the altly run is more of a concern
12:14
than undocumented illegal migrants. So
12:18
that's their opinion and they're
12:19
entitled to it.
12:21
Hi, excuse me.
12:24
Just to let you know, I I am recording.
12:26
Would you mind are you a student around
12:27
the area? Do you mind if I ask you a
12:29
couple of questions about something
12:30
going on in the area?
12:31
That's fine.
12:31
There's a student accommodation just
12:33
down the road and the home officer
12:34
applying to put it into
12:37
accommodation for the migrants. What are
12:38
your opinions on the matter? I mean, I
12:40
was planning on living there next year.
12:42
I mean, I live there now and I've lived
12:44
there last year, so I'd like to live
12:45
there again and it's a bit unconvenient,
12:47
but
12:48
yes, I've been inside and they said
12:50
there's no date for closure yet. It's
12:52
just an application.
12:53
So, have they held up your application
12:56
to live there next year?
12:57
Uh, not currently, but we've kind of
12:59
been told that if they do end up going
13:01
through with it, then we probably won't
13:02
be able to apply next year.
13:04
How short notice are they going to give
13:05
you, though? Are they going to give you
13:06
enough notice to find additional
13:08
accommodation? because it was a hotel
13:10
I don't know
13:10
in Halifax and within 3 days of people's
13:12
bookings they cancelled the bookings.
13:15
Yeah.
13:16
Um don't really know cuz it's the
13:18
landlord and all owner that have said
13:20
everything but it's a different company
13:22
that contacts us so they don't have
13:23
anything to do with the decision or
13:25
anything. So I don't know.
13:27
Okay. Right. Brilliant. Thank you very
13:28
much for talking to us. Enjoy your day.
13:31
In my opinion, I feel this student was
13:34
fairly neutral and as she said, it's
13:36
going to be inconvenient as she wants to
13:37
live there again next year as she has
13:39
for the previous two.
13:41
But as I asked her, what's the time
13:44
period they're going to give you to find
13:45
alternative accommodation? Are they
13:47
going to leave it very last minute? like
13:49
they kicked the people out of the hotel
13:52
in Halifax. The wool merchant I think
13:55
it's called where they cancelled their
13:58
bookings three days before people was
14:00
meant to arrive. So I hope for her she
14:04
does get enough notice if they do go
14:05
through the contract and she does find
14:07
somewhere else to reside for another
14:10
year at university.
14:18
What's your thoughts on the matter?
14:23
As long as you get your food, you're
14:25
happy at you.
14:28
Yeah. Right. See you soon, lad.
14:38
On the people we have spoke to about it,
14:40
we've had
14:42
two negatives. One of them just because
14:44
I want to live there next year and the
14:46
other one with other concerns.
14:48
So, we'll end that video there
14:52
and
14:54
we will see you in the next one. Thanks
14:58
for watching.
15:03
[Music]
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