Affordable homes to replace 'eyesore' flats

Proposals to build 79 homes on the former site of "an eyesore flats complex" in Leeds have been submitted.

The Kingsdale Court flats, in the Boggart area of Seacroft, were recently demolished after the council acquired them from private ownership after years of deterioration.

The council said the new development, comprising 20 houses and 59 one- and two-bedroom flats, would have a "contemporary external appearance" with energy-efficient features such as enhanced insulation, ground source heat pumps and photovoltaic solar panels.

A spokesperson said the homes "would transform what was once an unsightly blot on the local landscape into a welcoming, well-designed and sustainable neighbourhood".

The affordable homes will also have electric vehicle charging points, bike storage facilities, new trees and ornamental planting.

If planning permission is granted, the scheme will be delivered via the city's Council Housing Growth Programme (CHGP).

Built in the 1960s, Kingsdale Court was for many years "blighted by poor housing conditions and dwindling occupancy levels" as well as issues linked to crime and anti-social behaviour, according to the council.

Councillor Peter Carlill, Leeds City Council's executive member for transport and planning, said: "A lot of hard work has already gone into our efforts to regenerate this site, where the privately-owned and now-demolished flats had been allowed to deteriorate and decay.

"If approved, these affordable homes will give their tenants the kind of security and stability that comes with having a safe, warm and welcoming place to live."

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