NHC members host senior civil servant in West Yorkshire
NHC members host senior civil servant in West Yorkshire
We had a fantastic day visiting some great examples of brownfield development and regeneration in West Yorkshire with Emma Fraser (Director, Housing Markets & Strategy) from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Emma is the senior official responsible for MHCLG’s approach to housing in the Spending Review and the Long-Term Plan for Housing that will be published alongside it.
Emma is also the Department’s sponsor for Homes England and sits on their Board. The visit was part of NHC’s programme of taking senior civil servants out to see the issues on the ground ahead of important Government decisions on spending next year.
First stop: Yorkshire Housing’s Moorfield Road Site
The first stop was a Yorkshire Housing development of 50 affordable and sustainable homes on the site of a former factor in Armley.
The site was derelict and had been vacant for almost 20 years prior to its sale to Yorkshire Housing. They are developing it for a 100% affordable and energy efficient housing scheme.
Next up: Holbeck Urban Village and the South Bank
These three sites sit closely around Leeds City Centre and are a great example of the old sitting alongside the new. These sites have created a new sustainable community, which was built using the latest green technology on brownfield land.
Holbeck is in the South Bank of Leeds City Centre, an area which is undergoing significant change and housing growth and a key part of the Leeds Transformational Regeneration Partnership.
The Climate Innovation District in Leeds is developer Citu’s flagship development, exemplifying their vision for sustainable communities.
When complete, the Climate Innovation District will consist of 955 houses and apartments, workplaces, leisure, retail, and a net-zero, multi-generational building.
These houses are the first to be built in Leeds City Centre for over 100 years.
Time for Lunch with Nick Atkin and the West Yorkshire Housing Partnership
Over lunch we heard from West Yorkshire Housing Partnership vice chair and Yorkshire Housing CEO Nick Atkin about the work of the West Yorkshire Housing Partnership.
Nick Atkin said:
“It’s been a pleasure to welcome Emma Fraser from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to see first-hand how we’re delivering the affordable homes people need, and to also understand some of the barriers we face in doing even more.”
“With around 85,000 households on housing waiting lists across West Yorkshire, the desperate need for more homes like these is clear.”
“Housing associations across the West Yorkshire Housing Partnership are making a real impact in tackling the housing crisis, but we can only continue to do so with a significant increase in long-term funding.”
“Reclassifying housing investment as infrastructure spend would provide the long-term certainty of funding, we need to help deliver the government’s ambition to build 1.5 million homes.”
“We’ll also continue to make the case for a 10-year rent settlement to give housing associations confidence to bring forward larger schemes and deliver more high quality, affordable homes for people across West Yorkshire.”
Onwards to: WDH’s Saxton House
At WDH’s Saxton House in Leeds, we saw how they are building 207 affordable 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom apartments on the site of an old garage. This development, which was originally earmarked by the developer for private rent, will offer a diverse range of residents a home on the edge of Leeds City Centre.
Last but not least: Leeds Federated, Sugar Hill Close
Leeds Federated have replaced 1940s prefabricated Airey homes which were owned by a private landlord. We had the pleasure of meeting two longstanding residents who had just moved into their brand-new home from one of the prefabs.
It was a great day! Thank you to all those involved. We love showcasing the work of our members to government officials and hope it will help our members to work with government to transform communities across the North. Thanks to supporter member Ward Hadaway for hosting us.
