Leeds’ South Bank is set to benefit from more affordable and sustainable heating solutions after securing £24.5m in funding to extend the Leeds PIPES district heating network.
This significant expansion will potentially connect up to 28 buildings, impacting around 8,000 residents and various commercial entities. This marks the largest single investment in the project since it began. Residents included in this expansion will access more reliable, cost-effective, and eco-friendly heating. The project utilizes heat generated from the city’s non-recyclable domestic waste, providing essential heating and hot water to buildings throughout Leeds. This initiative is a critical step towards reducing reliance on expensive fossil fuels for heating.
The expansion of Leeds’ district heating network is advancing the city’s commitment to eliminating its carbon footprint by adopting lower-carbon heating solutions. Last year alone, the network contributed to a reduction of 5,945 tonnes of carbon emissions. Originally, the project successfully linked over 1,900 residential and commercial buildings to its energy-from-waste scheme.
This year saw significant additions, including over 250 council properties at Lovell Park Heights, Lovell Park Grange, and Lovell Park Towers, all now benefiting from the network’s heat. Additionally, both Leeds Conservatoire and the former Technology Campus Student Residential development have been connected and are actively receiving heating from the network.
Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space and Councillor Jessica Lennox, executive member for housing said:
“We are both pleased that many more residents will soon be paying significantly less to heat their homes thanks to this latest expansion of the Leeds PIPES network. UK’s homes are some of the least efficient and most reliant on costly fossil fuel gas in Europe, and too many families in our city struggle to pay their energy bills.
“We are committed to helping households by making our homes greener and fit for the future. Leeds is working towards becoming the first net zero city in the UK, and connecting more homes to affordable low carbon heating like Leeds PIPES is a step in the right direction.”
This summer, the Leeds district heating network extended its reach through new agreements with several key developments. These include the Railway Street affordable housing scheme, the 24-28 Great George Street project, which is set to be transformed into student apartments with the Victoria Hotel pub reestablished on the ground floor, Leeds College of Building’s North Street Campus, and the Co-op Academy Brierley SEND School in Cross Green.
As Leeds PIPES progresses, the focus remains on not only increasing the number of connections but also on enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the service. Plans are in place to continually advance the technology and infrastructure of the network to support the growing demand for sustainable heating solutions.
The impact of Leeds PIPES District Heating Network is a testament to Leeds’ innovative approach to environmental challenges and urban sustainability. With each expansion and upgrade, Leeds moves closer to achieving its ambitious environmental goals, setting a benchmark for cities worldwide.
