Fifty affordable homes have been completed on a once-vacant factory site in Armley, helping to meet growing housing demand while creating a new community in west Leeds.
A former factory site in Leeds has been transformed into a new affordable housing development, bringing 50 high-quality homes to local residents. St Andrews Grange, developed by Yorkshire Housing, has been completed on land once occupied by the Tower Works factory off Moorfield Road in Armley. The scheme includes 27 houses and 23 apartments, all available for affordable or social rent.
All 50 households had moved in by the end of last year, and the final works to the wider site have now been completed.
Sian Webster, executive director of growth and assets at Yorkshire Housing said:
“It’s been brilliant to see families settling in and really making these homes their own. Every home here is for affordable or social rent, which means people in this part of Leeds have more secure, long-term options at a time when demand is higher than ever.
“St Andrews Grange is exactly the kind of development we want to keep delivering as part of our plan to build 8,000 new homes over the next few years.
“Bringing an empty site back into use and creating a new community is something we’re really proud of, and we’re incredibly grateful for the support from Leeds City Council, Homes England and Termrim Construction.”
The development offers a mix of one to four-bedroom homes, all built to modern, energy-efficient standards designed to help residents manage the cost of living. As well as providing much-needed affordable housing, the scheme has breathed new life into a site that had stood empty for years.
The project was delivered in partnership with contractor Termrim Construction, with funding support from Leeds City Council and Homes England. Leeds City Council contributed £750,000 through a fund aimed at supporting affordable housing delivery using pooled developer contributions secured through planning agreements.
Councillor Mary Harland, Leeds City Council’s executive member for housing said:
“Good-quality affordable housing can have a hugely positive impact on people’s lives, health and well-being, and we’re determined to play our part in its delivery for communities across Leeds.
“I’m delighted, therefore, that the council was able to commit funding support to this scheme and its transformation of what was a vacant, derelict piece of land. It’s really pleasing, too, that all the initial tenancies have been offered to people on our housing register.
“It was great to visit St Andrews Grange and see the new homes that have been built there. It’s a very impressive development which shows, once again, the difference that partnership working can make to our city.”
Jason McGarvey, managing director at Termrim Construction said:
“We’re extremely proud of the team for what has been achieved at St Andrews Grange. Delivering high-quality, affordable homes is always important, but it’s particularly rewarding to see a development fully occupied and already becoming part of the Armley community.
“Our thanks go to Yorkshire Housing and all partners involved for the collaborative approach that made this scheme such a success.”
Affordable housing refers to homes made available at below-market rents or through low-cost home ownership schemes. In the rental sector, this typically includes affordable rent and social rent. Affordable rent is set at least 20 per cent below the prevailing local market rate, while social rent is lower still and is calculated using a formula linked to local incomes, property size and property values.
Yorkshire Housing is the largest housing association operating solely in Yorkshire, owning and managing almost 20,000 homes. It is also the region’s largest developing housing association, building around 500 new homes a year across a range of tenures, including social rent, affordable rent and shared ownership.
St Andrews Grange forms part of Yorkshire Housing’s wider programme to deliver thousands of affordable homes across the region. The organisation aims to build 8,000 homes over the coming years and is already more than halfway towards reaching that target.
More than 3,000 affordable homes have been delivered in Leeds over the past five years, one of the highest totals for any major city outside London. Senior councillors have also approved a new 10-year strategy which aims to help the city deliver 1,500 affordable homes a year by 2036.
