Kyme Homes ‘polishes off’ five year anniversary with Leeds debut
Having already developed in the Selby, York and Harrogate districts, growing Tadcaster based housebuilder, Kyme Homes, is set to start its first site in Leeds with a £1.5m development at the former Shooshyne factory site.
Set up five years ago, by co-owners and Directors Dominic Greeves and Nick Wright, Kyme Homes has bought a complex of buildings in Meanwood (LS6), which housed the outdated factory for Shooshyne Ltd – a manufacturer of electric and non-electric shoe polishing and wellie washing machines which are exported all over the world.
After 30 years in Meanwood, Shooshyne have now relocated to a new home in Wetherby, having realised for sometime their Meanwood Road factory, and other parts of the buildings it rented out, were no longer fit for purpose. Bill Geddes, founder and owner of Shooshyne said, “after numerous failed attempts to obtain planning consent for the residential use of our Meanwood Road site, and realise enough value to allow us to relocate to new premises, we were approached by Kyme Homes. Had it not been for their tenacity and pro-active approach in addressing the many challenging planning constraints we wouldn’t have got there. Nick and Dominic are a very hands-on developer housebuilder with a clear and deliverable vision.”
Nick Wright of Kyme Homes said “it was a real pleasure to work so closely with Shooshyne. We were thrilled to obtain detailed planning permission on the site and it was enormously satisfying to assist in the relocation of Shooshyne. It’s a truly unique business and the owners have an unrivalled understanding in what they do. No one would know, but Shooshyne’s handmade ‘Beeline’ (hedgehog) boot brushes can be seen by the entrances to English Heritage buildings throughout the country – they’re all natural products and Yorkshire made too, so I’m not surprised the ‘Beeline’ is one of their best sellers!”
Established with the clear objectives of providing excellent service and setting exceptional standards for new build speculative homes on smaller housing sites, Nick Wright said, “it’s a delight to be able to organically grow our business and create something for the long-term. We’re not into over-complicating things. It’s about building the right product in the right place, and taking a straightforward sensible approach. It’s a pleasure to be able to do that and create a capable and well-respected local house builder.
“The development in Meanwood of 5 two bed houses and 2 one bed flats is a cracker of a site. Not only will it provide modern housing built to a fantastic quality, it’s superbly positioned close to the Meanwood Road local centre with its wide array of services, so will prove attractive to a range of buyers.”
Part of the development also includes the much needed upgrading of the Walkers Road bridleway which runs around two sides of the site and will provide a welcoming entrance to the bridleway which connects Meanwood Road through to Grove Road and Headingley. Nick Wright added, “we always try to make a local connection in our schemes, so it was pleasing the City Council agreed that ‘Walkers Yard’ would be an appropriate name for the new road which will serve the dwellings. We just can’t wait to get started!”
The first phase of enabling works are set to start after Easter with the first homes ready for occupation in Spring next year.
