By Bobby Tait
Householders in Armley are set to benefit from new investment from Leeds City Council that will aim to keep back-to-back houses warm.
To offset costs incurred by the energy bill crisis, the TIBB project (Transformation Insulation to Back-to-Back), forms part of Leeds City Council’s commitment to invest £100million in de-carbonising council housing.
Once the project is complete in March 2023, 750 properties in five ward areas of Leeds, including Armley, will be fitted with external wall insulation, new roofs and other efficiency measures.
Council chiefs hope these will help to reduce damp issues, improve the visual appeal of properties and make homes warmer and more affordable to run.
The project is funded by £5.2million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and £6.61million from the Council’s Housing Revenue Account, and several properties in the Armley area have already had their homes transformed in a successful pilot.
Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for environment and housing, said:
“I am delighted to see this project come to fruition after a successful pilot in Armley last year. Improving the thermal efficiency of homes is absolutely vital given the current cost of living crisis and increases in energy bills that the country is facing.”
Previous similar investment has made the average council home warmer and more efficient than the average privately owned home in Leeds. It’s not just the benefits of reduced energy loss and increased warmth, those who took part in the pilot have noted how it’s freshened up the street they live on.
Katy, an Armley resident who has already benefited from the pilot, said:
“The scheme has definitely improved the area. This scheme has managed to give a fresh feel and makes the street better to look at.”
Over a thousand residents living in ‘back-to-back’ council properties in Leeds will also benefit from the project, and will work towards the council’s ambition of becoming a net-zero city by 2030.
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