Major milestone for plans to build new council housing in Leeds community

Leeds City Council has been working hard in recent months to revise, enhance and finalise its proposals for the affordable apartments scheme, which it is hoping to build at Richmond Road in Farsley.

Now an application has been made by the council for planning permission for the two-storey development of 25 one and two-bedroomed apartments, all intended for rent by people on Leeds’s housing register.

The proposed scheme would form part of the council's wider Council Housing Growth Programme (CHGP), which has delivered hundreds of much-needed affordable homes across Leeds in recent years.

If approved, the new apartments would exceed national standards on space and accessibility while also benefiting from high-specification insulation, double glazing and other sustainable heating and energy measures.

Outside, landscaping work would see trees and shrubs being planted and a secure private garden area created for residents. The development would also include car parking bays – all equipped for electric vehicle charging – and bike storage facilities.

Council data shows there is currently a shortage of affordable housing in Farsley, with one and two-bedroom homes those in greatest demand.

Documents submitted with the planning application, meanwhile, detail how the views of local residents have shaped the proposals for the scheme.

Concerns about a previous version of the plans – which at that stage were for 33 apartments in a building that would, in places, have been three storeys in height – were voiced during a consultation held last year.

The issues raised have informed a series of changes to the scheme, including a reduction in the proposed number of apartments and height of the building.

The planned external appearance of the development was also altered so it would better complement the form and character of existing nearby homes.

Further engagement work – including an in-person event and the distribution of information leaflets to more than 350 local homes, businesses and organisations – was carried out prior to the submission of the planning application.

The site earmarked for the scheme was formerly occupied by the Richmond House care home, demolition of which was completed in 2024.

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

“Here in Leeds, we are determined to deliver high quality, energy efficient council homes in communities across the city.

“I therefore welcome the submission of a planning application for the proposed Richmond Road scheme, which would help address local affordable housing needs.

“I’m also very pleased that the comments we received from local residents have directly informed the evolution of its design. Residents will have an option to make further comments through the planning process.

“By bringing forward schemes such as this, we can give people more opportunities to access affordable housing within their own communities, close to their families, friends and support networks and in the places they already call home.”

The CHGP has recently delivered dozens of homes for affordable rent at Brooklands Avenue in Seacroft and sites in the Ambertons area of Gipton.

CHGP projects 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, and a scheme at Hough Top, in Swinnow, near Pudsey, which will deliver 82 homes, also for affordable rent.

Planning applications have recently been submitted for CHGP developments at Wood Lane in Rothwell and the former site of the Kingsdale Court flats in the Boggart Hill area of Seacroft. If approved, these schemes will between them deliver 100 homes, all for affordable rent.

ENDS