Key milestone for new council housing development in Leeds

The development of 82 houses and apartments has been taking shape on the site of a former school at Hough Top, in Swinnow, near Pudsey, since the end of 2024.

Now, in a significant step forward for the Leeds City Council scheme, the first seven houses have been completed and handed over to tenants.

Work is also proceeding at pace on the rest of the development, with full completion expected this winter.

The Hough Top project is being delivered via Leeds’s Council Housing Growth Programme (CHGP), which has already built or acquired hundreds of homes in recent years.

The finished scheme will comprise 55 houses and 27 apartments, with a mix of one, two, three and four bedrooms.

All the properties will be available for affordable rent by council tenants, an important boost for an area where there is high demand for housing that meets a range of needs.

Energy efficiency measures such as individual air source heat pumps will also, it is anticipated, give tenants welcome assistance with the cost of living.

Another element of the scheme will see around 4,500 square metres of public open space being created at the site, which had lain empty since the demolition of the former Hough Side High School buildings in 2021 and 2022.

The wider community is also benefiting from a tie-in programme of social value activity by the scheme’s lead contractor, construction company Willmott Dixon.

To date, its team has run 125 apprentice training weeks, undertaken nearly 75 hours of school engagement and carried out a wealth of career mentoring for local people.

The majority of the funding for the Hough Top scheme is being provided by the council’s housing service via Right to Buy receipts and borrowing, with £1.64m of grant support coming from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund.

Councillor Peter Carlill, Leeds City Council’s executive member for transport and planning, said:

“We are determined to do everything we can to deliver good quality, energy efficient and affordable council housing in communities across the city.

“It’s therefore great news that the first homes at Hough Top have been completed and tenants are now settling into them.

“I was delighted to have the chance to visit this week to see the new houses and the progress being made on the rest of the development.

“The transformation taking place at Hough Top really does underline the difference that our Council Housing Growth Programme can make to people's lives – and whole communities.”

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:

“At a time when people are facing cost of living pressures, delivering new, affordable homes has never been so important.

“Devolution is making a real difference for communities, through our £110m investment to accelerate the delivery of thousands of much-needed homes in Pudsey and across West Yorkshire.

“Working in partnership with Leeds City Council, we’re not just building homes, we’re building brighter futures and investing in places where people can live, work and thrive for generations to come.”

Chris Yates, Yorkshire director at Willmott Dixon, said:

“Handing over the first seven homes is a significant milestone for Hough Top and, above all, for the families now moving in. It marks the point at which years of planning and construction begin to make a tangible difference to people’s lives.

“Our local team has brought considerable housing expertise to this scheme, working closely with Leeds City Council to deliver high quality, energy efficient homes that meet a genuine local need.

“We are equally focused on the legacy we leave beyond the buildings – creating skills and employment opportunities for local people through our Building Lives Academy programme and our engagement with nearby schools and colleges. We look forward to completing the remaining homes this winter.”

Notable new-build CHGP successes in recent times include the delivery of a 33-home scheme at Brooklands Avenue in Seacroft and a 55-home development in the Ambertons area of Gipton.

Another completed CHGP project can be found in Middleton, where 176 homes – including the 60-apartment Gascoigne House extra care facility – have been built on land previously occupied by Throstle Recreation Ground and Middleton Skills Centre.

CHGP schemes currently under construction include the Middlecross development in Armley, which will provide 65 apartments for affordable rent by people aged over 55 with care and support needs.

ENDS