The seven sites where 1,644 new homes should be built in Wetherby, Boston Spa, Scarcroft and Scholes

A 55-hectare site near Wetherby could become one of the largest continuous development sites in the city, after a new document from Leeds City Council was rubber-stamped this summer.
The Mercure Hotel in Wetherby is one of the sites shortlisted. (Pic: Google maps)The Mercure Hotel in Wetherby is one of the sites shortlisted. (Pic: Google maps)
The Mercure Hotel in Wetherby is one of the sites shortlisted. (Pic: Google maps)

The site allocations plan (SAP) is the city’s new housing master plan, outlining in extensive detail where new homes should be built in Leeds over the coming decade.

Following a year of disagreements, which culminated in an inquiry into the plans, Leeds City Council this month finally rubber-stamped the document.

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The SAP is split into 10 “housing characteristic areas”, each with their own proposed sites earmarked for housing and employment development. This article will focus on plans for Outer North East of the city. This area is bounded by the main urban area of Leeds to the south and by Harrogate and Selby to the north and east. It includes the areas of Wetherby, Boston Spa, Bardsley, Bramham and Collingham.

The Mercure Hotel in Wetherby is one of the sites shortlisted. (Pic: Google maps)The Mercure Hotel in Wetherby is one of the sites shortlisted. (Pic: Google maps)
The Mercure Hotel in Wetherby is one of the sites shortlisted. (Pic: Google maps)

The document also lists green spaces which should be protected from development.

It is expected that developers will use the SAP as a guide on what they can build in Leeds and whereabouts, while the council claims it will give the city extra protection from “bad developments”.

Sites allocated in the new SAP:

Land at Sandbeck Lane, Wetherby (6.28 hectares) – 165 units.

Mercure Hotel, Wetherby (2.39 hectares) – 86 units.

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Land at Church Street, Boston Spa (1.69 hectares) – 36 units.

Scarcroft Lodge, Wetherby Road, Scarcroft (5.79 hectares) – 100 units.

Land east of Belle Vue Avenue, Scholes (0.57 hectares) – 15 units.

Land to the east of Wetherby (55.43 hectares) – 1,100 units.

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Land to the north of HMP Wealstun Prison (6.33 hectares) – 142 units.

Although this makes only seven sites, it makes up 1,644 of the council’s 40,000 homes total.

It added that the 55.43-hectare Wetherby site should also be used for a school.

The document also listed five sites that should be safeguarded from development until at least 2028. Those were:

The Ridge, Linton (4.1 hectares).

West Park, Boston Spa (4.1 hectares).

Land to the east of Chapel Lane, Clifford (1.6 hectares).

Land off Wood Lane, Scholes (1.9 hectares).

Land east of Scholes (32.1 hectares).

These were included in a list of 135 green field sites in outer north east Leeds which the document said should be protected.