Plans for 22 affordable housing units to be let to people on council waiting lists have been given the green light by council planners.
New Wortley Housing Association (NWHA) said it is ‘delighted’ that it has obtained planning permission for its proposed community led development.
The units will be a mixture of terraces and low-rise flats on land next to Holdforth Place, in New Wortley.
NWHA consulted widely in the area to obtain feedback on its outline plans, and commissioned the LEDA architect co-operative to draw up the detailed specification.
New Wortley resident and Housing Association chair Bob Dickson said:
“It’s been a couple of years to get planning permission, but worth the wait. There is an acute shortage of affordable housing in Leeds. The Community Association and the Housing Association are glad to do whatever we can to help out.
”The next step is to raise the money to pay the construction costs, and we are cracking on with applications to government bodies who have funds for community-led housing developments. That will also take time, but getting planning permission is a vital milestone.”
New Wortley Housing Association aims to address local housing needs by building affordable housing that is owned by the community, for the community. The plans have also been co-designed with community members.
This pilot stage of the project will contain:
- 15 three-bed houses arranged in five blocks of three at the end of Holdforth Gardens and Bruce Lawn.
- 7 accessible two-bed flats for over 55s in a split level two-and-a-half storey block at the end of Holdforth Place.
The Association has further identified potential land for up to 140 units in the area and have opened discussions with the land owner – Leeds City Council – to release this land for a potential second phase of the project.
NWHA secretary John Battle told WLD:
“At last! This is a really positive breakthrough for a local community that is trying really hard to ensure that there will be affordable rented homes, of good environmental quality, in their neighbourhood.”
The plans can be viewed in full here.
NWHA is a subsidiary of the New Wortley Community Association, a local charity based at New Wortley Community Centre. It has major ambitions to improve the quality of life for residents of New Wortley. The community suggested building new housing on the estate and this project has evolved from these initial conversations.