Leeds property: Green light for new affordable community housing in Armley with mix of rent and shared ownership

A CGI image of what the new Leeds Community Homes development will look like in Armley.

Leeds Community Homes (LCH) has received planning consent to build the scheme at Mistress Lane in Armley.

The site was previously occupied by council flats but they were demolished in the early 2000s.

Plans for the new scheme include 28 one and two-bed apartments and six family houses.

Properties will be a mix of affordable rent and shared ownership.

The scheme, which has had a long period of design and planning, involved extensive consultation with local people in shaping the proposals, particularly around the mix of housing, and the plans for the community open space around the site.

Development Director at LCH, Jimm Reed, said: “Our aim with all our projects is to involve local people in the process of shaping their communities.

"To that end, we will continue to engage the Armley community – some of whom may be future residents, in co-creating the homes and spaces we are going to be making at Mistress Lane.

“We are grateful for the support of Leeds City Council, who have actively supported community housing over the years and encouraged us in our plans for the development of the site.

"We would also like to acknowledge the funding from Power to Change and the Homes England Community Housing Fund, which made it possible to develop the plans to this stage”.

A significant part of the funding for this scheme will be from ordinary people who invested in community shares in LCH at its launch in 2018.

That issue raised over £400,000 and much of that investment will go towards the Mistress Lane scheme.

LCH aims to create 'people powered homes' by acquiring land and buildings to create homes for affordable rental and sale.

It is currently supprting the New Wortley Housing Association in its plans to build twenty-two social and affordable homes at Holdforth Place and Project Freedom, who are aiming to create Leeds' first LGBT+ housing project and community arts centre.

It aims to create or enable 1000 community-led homes by 2027.

LCH is aiming to begin work on the site on site by April 2022.