First Leeds tenants open doors to houses and apartments in new council house development project

A council housing development in Leeds which is set to deliver dozens of affordable homes has reached a major milestone as the first tenants are set to move in.

The Hough Top project, which will see the development of 82 houses and apartments, has been taking shape on the site of a former school at Hough Top, in Swinnow, near Pudsey, since the end of 2024.

Now, Leeds City Council has announced that the first seven houses are complete and handed over to tenants.

Work is also proceeding at pace on the rest of the development, with full completion expected this winter.

The Hough Top project is being delivered via Leeds’s Council Housing Growth Programme (CHGP), which has already built or acquired hundreds of homes in recent years.

Councillor Peter Carlill, Leeds City Council’s executive member for transport and planning, said: “We are determined to do everything we can to deliver good quality, energy efficient and affordable council housing in communities across the city.

“It’s therefore great news that the first homes at Hough Top have been completed and tenants are now settling into them.

“The transformation taking place at Hough Top really does underline the difference that our Council Housing Growth Programme can make to people's lives – and whole communities.”

The finished scheme will consist of 55 houses and 27 apartments, with a mix of one, two, three and four bedrooms.

All the properties will be available for affordable rent by council tenants, an important boost for an area where there is high demand for housing that meets a range of needs.

Energy efficiency measures such as individual air source heat pumps are also anticipated to assist tenants with the rising cost of living.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “At a time when people are facing cost of living pressures, delivering new, affordable homes has never been so important.

“Working in partnership with Leeds City Council, we’re not just building homes, we’re building brighter futures and investing in places where people can live, work and thrive for generations to come.”

Another element of the scheme will see around 4,500 square metres of public open space being created at the site, which had lain empty since the demolition of the former Hough Side High School buildings in 2021 and 2022.

Alongside new housing, the Hough Top project will also create around 4,500 square metres of public open space at the site, which had lain empty since the demolition of the former Hough Side High School buildings in 2021 and 2022.

The majority of the funding for the Hough Top scheme is being provided by the council’s housing service via Right to Buy receipts and borrowing, with £1.64m of grant support coming from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund.

The wider community is also benefiting from a social value activity tie-in programme by the scheme’s lead contractor, construction company Willmott Dixon.

Chris Yates, Yorkshire director at Willmott Dixon, said: “Handing over the first seven homes is a significant milestone for Hough Top and, above all, for the families now moving in. It marks the point at which years of planning and construction begin to make a tangible difference to people’s lives.

“Our local team has brought considerable housing expertise to this scheme, working closely with Leeds City Council to deliver high quality, energy efficient homes that meet a genuine local need.

“We are equally focused on the legacy we leave beyond the buildings – creating skills and employment opportunities for local people through our Building Lives Academy programme and our engagement with nearby schools and colleges. We look forward to completing the remaining homes this winter.”