Leeds residential scheme will help rebuild lives shattered by alcohol addiction

Work is under way on an innovative residential development in Leeds for people recovering from alcohol addiction.
Demolition work at the building that previously occupied the Regent Terrace site.Demolition work at the building that previously occupied the Regent Terrace site.
Demolition work at the building that previously occupied the Regent Terrace site.

The £2m scheme on Regent Terrace in Hyde Park is being led by the St George’s Crypt homelessness charity and will comprise 14 one-bedroom and studio apartments.

The first project of its kind in the city, it will aim to provide a stepping stone into the mainstream housing system for people who have fallen on hard times.

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The scheme is due for completion next summer and is being built in partnership with Leeds City Council, which will cover 30 per cent of the capital costs through its Right To Buy Replacement Programme.

Martin Patterson, from St George’s Crypt, said: “Developing purpose-built homes has been a long-term ambition of ours and it’s hugely rewarding to see work under way on our first project.

“We want to encourage people who are firmly committed to improving their lives.

“The wider programme offers a multi-faceted support base where residents live together, participate in therapy sessions and carry out voluntary work, which helps to address addictions in drugs and alcohol as well as equipping them for life after recovery.”

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The site of the scheme was previously occupied by a building owned by St George’s Crypt that has now been demolished.

Planning permission was secured by the St George’s Crypt Development Company, which was set up in 2015 to support the provision of accommodation and community facilities for homeless and disadvantaged people in Leeds.

The company’s board is chaired by Alison Oldfield, a partner at Eversheds Sutherland, and includes Mark Henderson from Brewster Bye Architects, Jonathan Morgan from city living specialist Morgans and Joel Owen from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.