Middlecross Armley: Affordable extra care housing scheme to bring 65 energy-efficient apartments to Leeds

Middlecross, a Leeds City Council development in Armley, will home to 65 high-quality, energy-efficient and affordable apartments aimed at providing independent living opportunities for older people.

The three-storey complex will be built on brownfield land between Armley Grove Place and Simpson Grove and will include care facilities and communal spaces with a 50-seat dining hall.

Construction is set to begin in March this year and is scheduled to be finished by early 2027.

Delivered via Leeds' Council Housing Growth Programme (CHGP), the scheme will regenerate a two-acre site that has stood unused since the demolition of the Middlecross Day Centre in 2018.

The development will also support the city's net zero ambitions, with the apartments being built to energy-efficient specifications with high levels of insulation and the use of ground source pumps for heating.

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The authority said that by making the new homes affordable, the council has "underlined its commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of all local residents while tackling issues such as fuel poverty".

A majority of funding for the development comes from the council's housing service via Right to Buy receipts and borrowing, with £1.3 million of grant support due to come from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority's Brownfield Housing Fund.

Councillor Jess Lennox said about the development: “We are committed to ensuring that Leeds is a city synonymous with safe, warm and good-quality homes, with the increased provision of affordable housing having a key role to play in that.

“It’s really encouraging news, therefore, that construction work on the Middlecross scheme is due to begin shortly.

“At a time when there is a well-documented shortage of affordable extra care housing in Leeds, this development will make a real difference to the lives of its residents.

“The start of construction will also be another notable milestone for our Council Housing Growth Programme, which is working – with the support of partners – to bring positive and lasting change to communities across Leeds.”

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, added: “Our investment in this new site in Leeds will help build more much-needed, high-quality homes.

“I believe that having a safe and secure place to live is a fundamental right, so it’s only right that we invest vital funds to deliver thousands of homes across West Yorkshire.

“Together with our partners like Leeds City Council, we’re dedicated to building a greener, more secure region for future generations.”