Seacroft Hospital: Claims huge east Leeds homes development forcing residents to live in 'disastrous' conditions

Labour’s David Jenkins said that noise and dust from the development around Seacroft Hospital had forced residents to live through “quite difficult conditions”.

The long-running scheme is in the process of delivering nearly 700 new houses on land around the hospital, with the final phase of development due to be completed in 2025.

Councillor Jenkins said he wanted the city council to “learn from the experience” and be tougher on developers through enforcing planning conditions.

He made the remarks as councillors debated the sprawling development known as the East Leeds Extension at Civic Hall on Thursday.

Councillor Jenkins, who represents Killingbeck and Seacroft, said: “In my ward we’ve had the Seacroft Hospital development.

“One of the things that residents during a building site development are often concerned about is the heavy lorries, the noise, the dust and everything else.

“I wondered if we could learn from that experience, because it’s been quite disastrous in some ways for people to live through a hot summer in quite difficult conditions.”

Council planning officer Andrew Crates said he was “aware of the issues at Seacroft Hospital and we’re seeking to avoid a repeat of those here”.

The southern section of the East Leeds Extension, which will see more than 900 homes built in that part of the city, is likely to be bound by more than 70 planning conditions.

In principle, that should make it one of the most heavily regulated developments every approved in Leeds.

Mr Crates said: “(Councillors) will probably all agree there are often perennial concerns (around developments). There’s a lot of sub-contractors and people don’t always do what they’re supposed to do.

“All we can do really is have as tight conditions as possible and we’ll seek to enforce those if there’s a problem, but hopefully there shouldn’t be.”