A major new development of 50 new homes at Armley’s Tower Works could be ready for tenants in February 2025, developers have said.
Building work is already under way at the former factory site off Moorfield Road. The finished development includes 27 houses and 23 apartments, all available for ‘affordable’ or ‘social’ rent.
The scheme is being delivered by Yorkshire Housing and contractor Termrim Construction, with support from Leeds City Council and Homes England.
The scheme will also help efforts to boost the city’s overall supply of new homes, which is now forecast to rise by a further 750 this year, thanks to work by housing associations and the council.
It is anticipated that the first homes at the site – which has stood vacant and derelict for a number of years – will be ready for handover in February 2025.
All initial tenancies – and 60 per cent of subsequent lets – will be offered to people on the council’s housing register.
The new homes will have a mix of one, two, three and four bedrooms, and are being built to energy efficient specifications. Eighteen will be available for social rent, with affordable rents due to be charged for the other 32.
Councillor Jess Lennox, Leeds City Council’s executive member for housing, said: “The delivery of new affordable housing is one of the cornerstones of our work to tackle inequality and improve quality of life for people in communities across Leeds.
“These new homes will address local housing needs in Armley and will also, thanks to their energy efficient design, support the council’s net zero ambitions.
“Furthermore, the scheme will align with wider regeneration activity, both in Armley and other parts of the city, by taking a piece of vacant, derelict land and making it a desirable and attractive place to live.”
Anthony Askew, head of construction at Yorkshire Housing, said: “We are committed to delivering a range of affordable homes across Yorkshire, especially in areas of high need such as Armley.
“With 100 per cent affordable housing, this brownfield development will provide the area with much-needed housing supply and an opportunity for people to move into high-quality homes.
“We have an aim of delivering 8,000 new affordable homes across Yorkshire to help ease the housing crisis and this site takes us closer to achieving that target.”
Up to £750,000 is being committed to the project by the council. This money will come from Leeds’s commuted sums funding stream, which supports affordable housing delivery using pooled financial contributions paid by developers as part of planning agreements.
WLD reported yesterday that work is set to begin on a new scheme that will deliver 28 social rent and shared ownership homes at Wesley Road in Armley. And Lloyds Banking Group yesterday announced plans to convert its former office near Dawsons Corner in Pudsey into social housing.
What’s the difference between ‘affordable’ and ‘social’ rent?
Affordable housing for rent covers homes available for affordable rents and homes available for social rents.
Affordable rents are discounted – by at least 20 per cent – from the prevailing local market rate.
Social rents are lower than affordable rents (and, as such, can be described as ‘the most affordable tenure’). More details can be found here.
In the case of Tower Works, all the new homes will be ‘affordable housing for rent’. Eighteen of them will be for social rent and 32 for affordable rent.