Planning consent secured for 700 homes
Permission has been granted for 700 more homes in the Aire Valley.
Templegate Developments, a venture between Evans Property Group and Keyland Developments, has gained consent from Leeds City Council to build the extra homes at its 170-acre Skelton Gate site, Leeds, taking the total number of homes consented up to 1,800.
Initial consent was granted at the former colliery site, to the east of Junction 45 of the M1, in November 2017 for a new community including 1,100 homes, a primary and secondary school, public open space, a local centre and a convenience store.
Following Leeds City Council’s full council approving the adoption of the Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan (AVLAAP), land at Skelton Gate was allocated for a further 700 homes, to complement the already consented scheme.
Appointed contractor Hall Construction Services Limited is now on-site preparing the ground for development and delivering the phase one infrastructure for the scheme, which is being funded by a £20m Home Building Fund loan from Homes England, the government’s housing agency.
The Homes England loan is funding the delivery of infrastructure and ground preparation works for all three phases, which in total will cost of over £50m.
The entire scheme is expected to make a significant contribution to the region’s housing targets, in addition to enabling the creation of more than 500 construction and operational jobs.
Peter Garrett, Managing Director of Keyland Developments, said: “The consent to create a total of 1,800 new homes at Skelton Gate will ensure the development achieves its full potential as a sustainable community within the Aire Valley.
“The higher total number of homes not only assists in meeting the council’s long-term housing requirements, but also supports the provision of the education facilities on the site including the school, local centre and social and green infrastructure.”
James Pitt, Development Director at Evans Property Group, said: “Work is progressing well on-site where the multi-million pound Home Building Fund loan from Homes England has unlocked the first of three phases of development.
“The regeneration of the Aire Valley through a sustainable pattern of development is being realised through collaborative working and the securing of this significant planning consent for the extra 700 homes at Skelton Gate is a key part of that longer-term strategy.”
Neil Milligan, Head of Infrastructure and Complex Projects at Homes England, added: “The addition of 700 extra new properties at Skelton Gate will ensure more quality homes are available for people in the Aire Valley.
“We’re pleased to be supporting the development of this new community by investing in infrastructure through our Home Building Fund and look forward to seeing this new neighbourhood take shape.”
As part of the development proposals, Templegate Developments is transferring its interests in those parts of Skelton Lake within the site to Leeds City Council in order for the council to create – possibly in partnership with the RSPB – a new nature reserve.
Templegate Developments has also committed to a significant financial contribution to the ongoing management cost of the nature reserve.
