The development of more than 600 new homes in Leeds is to go ahead after the council secured more than £6m from the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) towards a relief road.
Funding of £6.3m will enable construction of the 1.5-km East of Otley Relief Road that will, subject to planning permissions, allow housing development to start by providing an eastern bypass that will relieve traffic pressure on Otley town centre.
The cash came from the HIF Marginal Viability Funding for the highways infrastructure that will unlock the site.
Leeds City Council bid for the funding for new housing on land to the east of Otley and at Roundhay Road in Chapeltown, working with the developers for each site. The cash will pay for remediation works as well.
Existing houses on the river Wharfe at Otley
Together the two schemes are capable of delivering 614 new homes, of which more than 200 will be affordable housing.
Executive member for regeneration, transport and planning Richard Lewis said: ‘These projects are different in many ways but demonstrate the breadth of our approach to delivering planned housing growth, whilst recognising the diversity of needs and aspirations across the whole district.’
At Otley, developer Persimmon Homes is working with other landowners and playing a leading role in bringing forward the critical infrastructure proposals for the site, which as a long-standing part of the city’s agreed planning strategy is allocated for the development of 550 new homes as well as a new primary school, employment uses and greenspace.
Chris Hull, land director for Persimmon Homes West Yorkshire, said: ‘ We look forward to continuing our ongoing work with Leeds City Council to bring forward the construction of the relief road as well delivering much-needed housing in an area where homes are in high demand.’
In Chapeltown a partnership formed between Unity Housing Association and Chapeltown Co-housing (ChaCo) will benefit from a grant of £990,000 to remediate the site and to build affordable apartments for over-55s alongside an innovative project led by local people to create a co-housing scheme along with self-build opportunities.
The council said it is also awaiting the outcome of a further major bid under the HIF that could support the delivery of over 16,500 new homes across sites in the city centre.
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