Council plans to build affordable housing on vacant site

A disused block of flats in Beaumont Leys, which has been empty for over seven years, is set to be demolished to make way for new affordable housing.

The Leys building, purchased by Leicester City Council in 2019 with plans for refurbishment, has fallen into disrepair.

Now, with the chance to acquire adjacent land at John Calvert Court, the council plans to demolish the building and develop up to 52 new affordable homes, along with a playground.

Originally bought for £1.2m, the new housing scheme, including demolition costs of £800,000, is expected to cost £15.5m.

It will be funded by proceeds from the Government’s Right to Buy scheme.

If approved, demolition is scheduled for 2025, followed by a tender process for a development partner to design and build the new homes, subject to planning permission.

Deputy city mayor Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, who leads on housing said: “Leicester continues to face a housing crisis and it essential we do everything we can to address the growing demand for high-quality affordable housing in the city.

“By acquiring more land and preparing this site for new homes, we can increase our stock of council housing and build high quality, affordable homes that meet the needs of local people as well as provide a boost to the local area. There is no doubt that the Right to Buy scheme has hit the supply of council housing hard. We must invest whatever proceeds we can back into ambitious schemes like this that will help address the urgent need for more affordable homes in our city.”