Construction work has begun on an extra care housing scheme that will open up new independent living opportunities for older people in Leeds.
Leeds City Council’s Middlecross development in Armley will provide 65 energy efficient apartments for affordable rent by people aged over 55 with care and support needs.
The homes are being built for the council by Morgan Sindall Construction and will breathe new life into a two-acre brownfield site that has lain empty for several years.
To mark the start of construction, the council’s executive member for housing, councillor Jess Lennox, paid a visit to the site to meet some of the project team and see the early progress that has been made.
Councillor Lennox was joined by representatives from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which has contributed £1.3m from its Brownfield Housing Fund towards the cost of the scheme.
A further £1.3m has been drawn from Leeds’ commuted sums funding stream, which supports affordable housing delivery using pooled financial contributions paid by developers as part of planning agreements.
The rest of the funding for the project – due for completion in 2027 – has come from the council’s housing service via Right to Buy receipts and borrowing.
The scheme’s three-storey apartment building has been designed to encourage everyday social interaction as well as independent living, with a restaurant, a hair salon and an open-plan lounge and coffee bar among the communal spaces that will be available to residents.
Sustainability and energy efficiency were also key design considerations and, as a result, the building will have high levels of ventilation and insulation while benefiting from features such as ground source heat pumps and roof-mounted solar panels.
The site for the scheme – which sits between Armley Grove Place and Simpson Grove – was occupied by Middlecross Day Centre until its demolition in 2018.
Councillor Jess Lennox, Leeds City Council’s executive member for housing, said: “It’s great news that construction work is now under way on this important scheme, which will help address the well-documented shortage of affordable extra care housing in Leeds.”
Ben Hall, Yorkshire area director for Morgan Sindall, said: “We are proud to be playing our part in creating high-quality extra care housing, enabling older people to enjoy later life.
“It was a pleasure to welcome Councillor Lennox and other stakeholders to our work at Middlecross. We’re looking forward to delivering this much-needed new scheme, which was procured via the SCAPE Construction framework.
“It will bring significant benefits for the Armley community, both through the completed building and our contribution to the local economy during the build programme.”
