New community owned housing development to be built in New Wortley

After years of campaigning, the New Wortley Housing Association has obtained planning permission for its proposed development of 22 housing units.

The units will be a mixture of terraces and low rise flats on land next to Holdforth Place, New Wortley.

The three bedroom terrace houses will be arranged in five blocks of three at the end of Holdforth Gardens and Bruce Lawn.

The seven accessible two-bed flats for over 55s in a split level two-and-a-half storey block at the end of Holdforth Place.

The homes will be let to people on the council waiting list for social housing.

They are designed to be affordable homes created "by the community, for the community".

Local resident and Chair of the Housing Association Bob Dickson said: “It’s been a couple of years to get planning permission, but worth the wait.

"There is an acute shortage of affordable housing in Leeds. The Community Association and the Housing Association are glad to do whatever we can to help out.”

He added: ”The next step is to raise the money to pay the construction costs, and we are cracking on with applications to government bodies who have funds for community-led housing developments. That will also take time, but getting planning permission is a vital milestone.”

The Housing Association consulted widely in the area to obtain feedback on its outline plans.

It commissioned the LEDA architect co-operative to draw up the detailed specification.

The New Wortley Housing Association (NWHA) is a subsidiary of the New Wortley Community Association (NWCA), a local charity that has major ambitions to improve the quality of life for residents of New Wortley.