Homes for affordable rent to occupy former school site
Work on a new development comprising houses and apartments is in progress near Pudsey.
Leeds City Council secured planning permission in October last year for 82 homes on the site of a former school at Hough Top, in Swinnow.
The development – which is being delivered via Leeds’s Council Housing Growth Programme (CHGP) – will feature 55 houses and 27 apartments, with a mix of one, two, three and four bedrooms.
The apartments will be located in a new three-storey building named Hough Top Court. All 82 properties will be made available for affordable rent.
Construction company, Willmott Dixon, is building the homes for the council.
Most of the funding for the scheme – scheduled for completion late next year – is being provided by the council’s housing service via Right to Buy receipts and borrowing, with £1.64m of grant support coming from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund.
Councillor Jess Lennox, Leeds City Council’s executive member for housing, said: “The Hough Top scheme is an excellent example of how the council is working, with partners, to deliver good quality, energy efficient and affordable homes for the people of Leeds.
“The difference that a development like this can make to local families is huge, particularly in an area such as Pudsey where there are significant housing needs.
“Our aim is to ensure communities right across Leeds can benefit in the same way and, while we know there is still much to do, the various schemes currently taking shape as part of our Council Housing Growth Programme are moving us ever closer to realising that ambition.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Because of devolution, we’ve been able to invest almost £90m to help unlock over 5,000 new homes, including dozens of affordable and sustainable homes in Pudsey.
“Working with Leeds City Council, we’re taking decisive action to tackle the housing crisis and deliver the warm, high-quality homes that local families need, with lower rents and energy bills.
“Everyone is entitled to a safe and secure roof over their head, so we will work with central government to get the whole of West Yorkshire building, with new freedoms and funding to deliver thousands more homes and create a greener, more vibrant region.”
Chris Yates, Yorkshire director at Willmott Dixon, added: “We share Leeds City Council’s passion for creating employment opportunities for this community.
“In partnership with our local supply chain partners, we are committed to supporting local people through our dedicated Building Lives Academy skills programme, as well as continuing to work closely with local schools and colleges.”
More than 350 new homes have been built via the council’s CHGP since 2018. More than 420 homes have also been acquired as part of the programme.
