By John Baron
Plans to build new council houses on the former Hough Side High School site in Swinnow have moved a step closer to reality this week.
Council chiefs have given the green light to spend £533,000 – excluding VAT – to support the delivery of new-build council housing for the Hough Top Court scheme.
They have appointed property specialists Perfect Circle to oversee project management, and provide technical advisory and quantity surveying services ahead of a planning application being submitted later this year.
A council report approving the appointment adds: “The scheme will support the council’s ‘best city ambition’ through the provision of high quality, affordable, energy efficient housing which also supports the health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities in the Pudsey Ward and across the city, as well as supporting tenants at risk of fuel poverty.”
Hough Side High School closed in August 1992 and Leeds City Council has earmarked the site for around 76 houses in its Site Allocations planning blueprint for Outer West Leeds.
Demolition of the school took place in late 2021 and early 2022 at a cost of £276,000, after being delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Most of the playing fields for the school were built over heavily polluted land,former quarries used to tip all sorts of industrial waste. Hope they know this already!!
Also I know its a bit pedantic but Swinnow was never in Pudsey…it might be nowadays for voting but that doesn’t mean its in Pudsey
Thanks for your comment Eamon. No, you’re not being pedantic at all. I’ve corrected the copy. My grandma and grandad lived on Cavendish Street, off Hough Side Road and I always assumed Hough Top was still Pudsey, but I’m happy to be corrected after all these years! All the best, John – editor