Leeds Council Goes to War With Housing Shortage

Planning chiefs at Leeds City Council have given the green light for five new residential schemes across the city, with a mix of full and outline permissions. In a single sitting, the council has approved the development of 1,800 new homes – the second-largest number signed off in one go in recent times.

It could have been the biggest ever, however, plans for 500 houses in Seacroft had to be sent back to the drawing board.

The total number of new homes approved by the council over the last two years now exceeds 10,000. But there’s still a long way to go to meet the target set out in their Core Strategy of 66,000 homes by 2028.

The largest single development site is located in the city centre, where City Reach will provide 780 new flats and 234 student bedsits. Built upon the former Yorkshire Chemicals site on Kirkstall Road, the scheme will also deliver a number of leisure and retail facilities.

Elsewhere, a further 270 homes were approved for Tyersal Lane, near Pudsey; and the other three schemes will bring around 530 new homes to Micklefield, near Garforth.

Additionally, the council has declared that it will use all the powers at its disposal – and lobby the government for more if they aren’t enough – to clampdown on rogue landlords and absentee owners in the city who are allowing 4,000 long-term unoccupied houses to go to waste.

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