New plan for 300 homes to meet government’s housing needs

The joint venture team behind the proposed new housing scheme at Scholes in North Leeds has unveiled revised plans for a community benefit led scheme for 300 homes.

Following discussions with Leeds City Council, these proposals will be promoted through the Site Allocations Plan Process.

The team behind the joint venture, from Barratt and David Wilson Homes and the Scholes Development Company, is seeking to assist with the Government’s push for new housing delivery by bringing new homes to the Outer North East area of Leeds, where Leeds City Council has a housing target of 5000 new homes by 2028.

Following the withdrawal of the Headley Hall site in Bramham by Leeds University as a potential site for a new settlement, Leeds City Council needs to identify alternative sites in Outer North East Leeds for 3000 homes.

The proposed site, to the immediate east of Scholes between Rakehill Road to the North, Main Street to the South and Belle Vue Avenue to the East, has previously been identified in the Leeds UDP as a potential development site. It covers around 50-acres, sits outside of the Green Belt and is largely surrounded by residential development and recreation facilities.

Initial proposals for 700 sustainable family homes have been reworked and were submitted last week as part of Leeds City Council’s Site Allocations Plan process.

The revised proposals, whilst reducing housing numbers, still offer the same substantial community benefits as the larger scheme including a gift of land to the Parish Council and financial assistance to enable the local primary school to expand, improved public transport facilities, a new GP surgery, road improvements and a new 5 acre public green park adjoining the cricket ground.

Peter Gilman, Chairman of GMI Property who form part of the Scholes Development Company, said: “As we saw in the recent Autumn Statement, there is a real drive from Government to address the housing shortage problem and, following the withdrawal of the new settlement at Headley Hall, the Outer North East Leeds area is in desperate need of new homes – 3000 to be exact. Our strategic site at East Scholes is not in Green belt and has previously been identified by the Planning Inspectorate as being suitable for development.

“The Council wants to encourage developers to help build communities and with the squeeze on public spending, the reality is that sustainable schemes such as this are the only way that communities can ensure investment in their infrastructure. Despite the fact that we have more than halved the number of homes from our original scheme, we are still offering the same substantial community benefits.

“With the local housing shortage running into thousands, we have a site which is available and deliverable and a partner in Barratt and David Wilson that wants to start building homes to satisfy local housing needs”.

Scholes Development Company is a subsidiary of GMI Property which has a long term track record of delivering successful developments throughout Leeds.

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