Building to start this month on affordable and sustainable homes in Leeds City Centre

Work is due to start on site this month for 54North Homes to build 58 affordable and sustainable homes in Leeds on the site of the former ‘Yorkshire Rider Social Club’, on Railway Street (close to Quarry House).

The scheme will include 28 one-bedroom, 25 two-bedroom and five three-bedroom apartments designed to a high specification throughout. The homes will be energy efficient, with heat pumps providing hot water, EV charging points and cycle storage to facilitate green travel. The homes will also have a flexible layout, including workspace areas to accommodate the increase in home working.

Outside will be landscaped with grass and trees to enhance biodiversity and each of the ground floor apartments will have their own garden.

The £12m scheme is the first new-build development to be built by affordable housing provider, 54North Homes, which manages over 3,000 homes throughout Yorkshire. 54NorthHomes was formed in December 2022 through a merger between Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association and York Housing Association and is now a subsidiary of the Karbon Homes Group.

The new development has been designed by Brewster Bye Architects and will be built by Caddick Construction. Grant support has been provided by Homes England Strategic Partnership funding, Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, through its devolved Brownfield Housing Fund.

The land at Railway Street was sold by the council to 54North Homes for the delivery of much-needed affordable housing, with all initial tenancies due to be made available to applicants on the council’s housing register.

The council’s grant support to the scheme is funded through pooled financial contributions towards affordable housing delivery secured in planning agreements on developments across the city and means that all the new homes can be let at low-cost social rent.

Councillor Jess Lennox, Leeds City Council’s executive member for housing, said: “Increasing the provision of affordable housing forms a key part of our efforts to ensure Leeds is a city that has opportunities and communities for all.

“The progress we have made and are continuing to make in this area is illustrated perfectly by schemes such as this one at Railway Street, where council grant support and land assets are being used to deliver high-quality, energy efficient homes and attractive outdoor spaces.”

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “As someone who grew up in social housing, I understand the importance of having a safe and affordable place to call home. Secure housing impacts positively on every aspect of a person’s life, so I was thrilled to be able to help fund dozens of good quality, energy-efficient and sustainable homes at Railway Street in Leeds.

“As Mayor, I have pledged to support the delivery of new, affordable and sustainable homes across West Yorkshire, and I will continue to work alongside our partners such as Leeds City Council and 54North Homes to deliver that pledge.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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