Leeds tenants move into new Hough Top homes: key details

Contents

First households settle into completed homes
82 affordable homes planned for Swinnow
Brownfield funding and local training
Leeds council housing pipeline continues

By Beehive Web Newsroom

The first council tenants have moved into a new affordable housing development at Hough Top in Swinnow, near Pudsey, after the first seven homes were completed and handed over.

The Leeds scheme is set to deliver 82 council homes on the former Hough Side High School site, which had stood empty after demolition work in 2021 and 2022. Leeds City Council said the remaining homes are still under construction, with full completion expected this winter.

The project is being delivered through the Council Housing Growth Programme, the council’s route for building and acquiring new homes for affordable rent across the city.

First households settle into completed homes

The first handover means families are now living on the Hough Top site after construction began at the end of 2024. The completed homes form the first phase of a wider development intended to meet demand for council housing across a range of household sizes.

Councillor Peter Carlill, Leeds City Council’s executive member for transport and planning, said the handover showed the programme’s impact on residents and communities.

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

He added that the first tenants were now settling in while work continues on the rest of the development.

Leeds tenants move into new Hough Top homes: key details

82 affordable homes planned for Swinnow

When finished, the Hough Top development will include 55 houses and 27 apartments. The homes will offer a mix of one, two, three and four bedrooms, making the scheme relevant to single residents, couples, families and larger households.

All 82 properties will be available for affordable rent by council tenants. The council said the homes are being built in an area where there is high demand for housing that meets different needs.

The development also includes energy efficiency measures, including individual air source heat pumps. The council expects these measures to help tenants with living costs, particularly as household energy bills remain a pressure for many residents.

Around 4,500 square metres of public open space is also due to be created on the site. That element will return part of the former school land to wider community use after several years without an active public role.

Brownfield funding and local training

Most of the funding for the Hough Top scheme is being provided by Leeds City Council’s housing service through Right to Buy receipts and borrowing. The project has also received £1.64 million from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund.

The brownfield funding is part of a wider West Yorkshire programme aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes on previously developed land. Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said affordable housing had become more pressing as households face cost-of-living pressures.

“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,” she said.

The lead contractor, Willmott Dixon, has also run social value work linked to the construction programme. According to the council, this has included 125 apprentice training weeks, nearly 75 hours of school engagement and career mentoring for local people.

Chris Yates, Yorkshire director at Willmott Dixon, said handing over the first seven homes marked the point where planning and construction were beginning to make a practical difference for households.

Leeds council housing pipeline continues

The Hough Top project sits alongside other Council Housing Growth Programme schemes delivered in Leeds in recent years. Completed new-build projects include 33 homes at Brooklands Avenue in Seacroft, 55 homes in the Ambertons area of Gipton, and 176 homes in Middleton on land formerly occupied by Throstle Recreation Ground and Middleton Skills Centre.

The Middleton scheme includes Gascoigne House, a 60-apartment extra care facility.

Other cities are also expanding social and affordable housing delivery, including new social housing in Manchester, as councils respond to long waiting lists and pressure on rented homes.

In Leeds, work is also under way at Middlecross in Armley, where 65 apartments are being built for affordable rent by people aged over 55 with care and support needs. At Hough Top, the next milestone is completion of the remaining homes this winter.

Source: Leeds City Council