Hough Top Swinnow: Building work to start on 82 new council homes at site of former Leeds high school

Leeds City Council secured planning permission last month for the scheme, which will see a total of 82 high-quality and energy efficient homes being built on a former high school site at Hough Top, in Swinnow, near Pudsey.

And, with work to prepare the site for development now well under way, it is anticipated that the main phase of construction could begin as soon as next month.

The scheme - which is being delivered via Leeds’s Council Housing Growth Programme (CHGP) - will comprise 55 houses and 27 apartments, with a mix of one, two, three and four bedrooms.

Coun Jess Lennox said: “We are determined to ensure that everyone in Leeds is able to enjoy the stability and security that comes with a good-quality home, with the increased provision of affordable housing having a central part to play in that.

“It’s really encouraging news, therefore, that the main phase of construction work on the residential development at Hough Top is due to begin shortly.

“These affordable homes will make a hugely positive difference to people’s lives, and will bring back into use an allocated housing site that has good access to public transport, green space and local services.”

They will be suitable for adaptation and fitted with air source heat pumps, a sustainable heating solution that will help cut carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty.

The properties will all be made available for affordable rent, giving an important helping hand to families in a part of Leeds that has significant housing needs.

Developer Willmott Dixon has been leading the pre-construction work at the 2.5-hectare site, which has lain empty since the demolition of the former Hough Side High School buildings in 2021 and 2022.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, added: "I’m delighted we’re bringing more high-quality homes to west Leeds.

"We believe that having a safe and secure place to live is a fundamental right, which is why we’re investing vital funds to deliver thousands of much-needed homes across West Yorkshire.”

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The bulk of the funding for the scheme - scheduled for completion in late 2026 - is being provided by the council’s housing service via Right to Buy receipts and borrowing, with £1.64m of grant support due to come from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund.

More than 350 new homes have been built via the council’s CHGP since 2018.