Leeds council flats: Six tower blocks transformed as hundreds of flats get cheaper heating

Energy and regeneration specialist Equans began work in late 2022, on the £25m transformation of seven tower blocks as part of Leeds City Council’s drive to deliver high-quality homes while also tackling fuel poverty and the climate emergency.

Residents are now benefiting from the improvements, which have been completed at six of the blocks – Parkway Court, Parkway Grange and Parkway Towers in Seacroft and Lovell Park Grange, Lovell Park Heights and Lovell Park Towers in Little London.

The work – which has included the reroofing of buildings and the installation of new external wall insulation and ventilation systems – will reduce the amount of energy needed to heat individual flats.

Coun Mohammed Rafique, City Council’s executive member for climate, said: "Reducing Leeds’s carbon footprint is a priority for the council, but it’s important that this is done in a fair way that also helps improve standards of living in all our local communities.

“The benefits of such an approach are perfectly demonstrated by the changes at these flats in Seacroft, Little London and West Park, where emissions and energy bills are both set to be significantly reduced." Residents in the 600-plus flats across the seven blocks will enjoy cheaper fuel bills while also cutting the city’s carbon emissions.

The average annual energy costs for each flat are expected to halve, while the amount of CO2 being produced by the average property is predicted to drop by around a third.

Work at the seventh block, Moor Grange Court in West Park, is due to finish in the next few months.

Coun Jess Lennox, Leeds City Council’s executive member for housing, said: "We are determined to do everything we can to give communities in Leeds the kind of safe, warm and affordable social housing that can transform lives for the better.

“The work that has been taking place across these seven sites shows how we are delivering on that ambition."

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The scheme forms part of a wider £100m programme of council-led work across Leeds, with large numbers of buildings having already received or due to receive energy-saving upgrades to reduce the city’s carbon footprint and combat fuel poverty.

In a further boost for residents in Lovell Park Grange, Lovell Park Heights and Lovell Park Towers, the council recently announced that all three blocks are set to be connected to the flagship Leeds PIPES district heating network.

Leeds PIPES uses heat and energy recovered from non-recyclable waste to provide warmth and hot water to a range of residential and commercial buildings.