Construction work is set to begin under an affordable scheme to ease housing pressure in Leeds.
Leeds City Council secured planning permission for the project last month. The project will see a total of 82 homes built on the site of the Haftop school in Sinault, near Pudsey.
It is expected that the main phase of construction could start as early as next month.
The scheme is being delivered through Leeds' Council Housing Growth Program (CHGP) and will consist of 55 houses and 27 flats in a mix of one, two, three and four bedrooms.
All properties are available at affordable rental rates. The development will be handed over to the council by construction and property services company Willmott Dixon.
The company has been leading pre-construction works on the 2.5-hectare site, which has been vacant since the demolition of the former Hufside High School building in 2021 and 2022.
Most of the funding for the development, which is due for completion at the end of 2026, is being provided by the council's housing service through Right to Buy receipts and borrowings, with grant support of £1.64m provided by West Yorkshire Combined Authority's Brownfield Housing Fund. It is planned that .
Councilor Jess Lennox, Executive Member for Housing at Leeds City Council, said: What role should we play in that?
“It is therefore really encouraging news that construction work on the main phase of the Haftop housing development is set to begin soon.
“These affordable homes will make a huge positive difference to people’s lives and will put them back into use on allocated housing sites with good access to public transport, green space and local services.
“Schemes like this are particularly important in boroughs like Pudsey, where we know there is a huge demand for affordable housing.”
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said: “We believe that having a safe and secure place to live is a fundamental right, which is why we are delivering thousands of much-needed homes across West Yorkshire. We are investing significant funds to deliver homes for people.”
“Together with partners such as Leeds City Council, we are committed to building greener and safer neighborhoods for future generations.”
At least 350 new homes have been built through the council's CHGP since 2018. More than 340 homes were also acquired as part of the program.
