Affordable homes planned for Wakefield city centre as part of Kirkgate redevelopment

Members of Wakefield Council’s Cabinet are to discuss plans to redevelop a key site in the city’s Kirkgate area.

The land was acquired around four years ago as part of a wider plan for the redevelopment and improvement of the Kirkgate entrance to Wakefield city centre.

A report states the purchase was made using £1.6m of funding “in order that the buildings that dominated and blighted the Kirkgate entrance into Wakefield city centre could be cleared.”

Councillors are being asked to agree to three “small but very visible council-owned plots” being sold to a social housing provider to increase affordable housing and help people currently on the social housing waiting list.

The land includes the site once occupied by Chantry House.

The former council tax and highways building was demolished in 2020 and had been empty since 2006.

It was widely considered to be an eyesore by residents and businesses who said it gave a poor impression of one of the main routes into the city centre.

The report states: “The council will be reusing brownfield land that had previously blighted the South East gateway to the city centre.

“The development will open up this area of land and eliminate the inherent anti-social behaviour that defined this small section of Wakefield.

“Through this work, the Council will be fulfilling its pledge to support vulnerable residents and is committing to its Public Sector Housing programme by directly influencing the delivery of new affordable homes across the district to meet unmet demand.”

Mark Lynam, corporate director for regeneration and economic growth, said: “We want to ensure that high quality, affordable housing is provided across the Wakefield district.

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“The proposal is to support residents and ensure that more people have access to a warm, safe, dry and healthy home that they can afford and that meets diverse individual and family needs.

“Taking this approach would help the Council to retain some control over the quality, mix, size, and pace of delivery of affordable housing, as well as meeting commitments to help vulnerable residents.”

Cabinet members meet will discuss the plans on Tuesday, June 14 at 10.30am.