Why Leeds Council wants to buy 40 ‘extremely poor’ Seacroft flats

A report published by council officers outlines plans to purchase a long leasehold for “at least 40 flats” at Kingsdale Court, Seacroft, following years of antisocial behaviour and neglect.

Set to be discussed by senior council decision-makers next week, a damning report published to Leeds City Council’s website claims parts of the eight-block site have been subject to extensive criminal damage, fly tipping and “intimidation of residents” over the past decade.

The authority said the planned purchase and refurbishment could improve living conditions in the area, while providing much-needed council-housing stock for Seacroft.

Kingsdale Court is made up of 88 flats across eight blocks, all of which are privately owned. The flats the council wishes to buy are spread across six of the eight blocks.

Two of the blocks – Farnley House and Gilstead House – were temporarily closed by the council in 2019 due to issues including extensive criminal damage of the buildings, fire hazards, fly-tipping and “the intimidation of residents”.

Another problem faced by tenants of the wider site, claims the report, is the complex layers of ownership and management, which has led to a “fragmentation of obligations” over who is responsible for basic maintenance.

The report added: “The site has been a focus for significant and sustained crime and antisocial behaviour, resulting in major impacts on amenity and safety for residents in and around the site, deteriorating housing and environmental conditions and a high rate of void properties; around half of the flats across the full site are empty.

“(The flats have) seen limited investment or basic maintenance in recent years, leading to very poor quality conditioning of the built fabric, external and communal areas. Housing conditions are generally poor and well below those of the surrounding estate of council and Registered Provider (Housing Association) homes”

It was revealed that the 40 flats the council was considering buying had been held in administration since late 2019 following the failure of their previous holding company, but had recently been purchased by a property developer “with a view to long term investment and further acquisitions in the site to enable comprehensive refurbishment.”

However, the council added: “Whilst the intention of the developer is positive, there are currently a large number of interests across the site (freehold, head leases, sub-leases, tenancies and management companies) that have created a complex set of property relationships, fragmented responsibilities and obligations, which in part have contributed to its social and environmental problems.

“A single third party acquisition of these cannot be guaranteed and would leave significant concern about the potential for resolution of the ongoing challenges of the nature experienced to date.”

Should the council purchase the flats, the document claimed the authority could improve poor housing conditions as well as being able to offer high-quality council housing to meet local need.

The paper read: “Acquisition of these properties would allow the challenge of extremely poor quality private sector housing to be tackled and fit-for purpose affordable housing to be provided at a later date as part of the Council’s commitment to sustainable change and regeneration in one of its priority neighbourhoods.”

Although public money would be spent on the flats, Leeds City Council said it has not yet made the proposed expenditure public due to commercial sensitivity.

The document will be discussed by Leeds City Council’s Executive Board on Wednesday, February 10.