Sustainable property company CITU has delivered its first affordable homes within the Aire Lofts apartment scheme, at the heart of the pioneering, multi award-winning Climate Innovation District in Leeds.

Working in partnership with social housing provider Leeds Community Homes (LCH), eight one and two-bedroom apartments are now available with the first residents set to move in imminently. This tranche is part of Aire Lofts and is the first of three phases of affordable homes being developed at the Climate Innovation District which will ultimately offer a total of 16 homes within the community. Three homes in this phase are being marketed as shared ownership* opportunities with the remainder available through social rent agreements.

CITU has been working with LCH since 2016 to incorporate social housing as an integral part of the Climate Innovation District which is being delivered on the banks of the River Aire, just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre. The LCH-managed homes of course enjoy the same industry-leading specification and sustainable credentials as their neighbours, with high performing energy efficiency in all the homes which are designed and manufactured on site.

The homes offer city centre living combined seamlessly with zero carbon sustainability credentials. All the apartments’ interiors feature a high-quality finish with concrete floors, exposed pipework and maximum natural light. It’s a ‘less but better’, stripped back aesthetic and bold design that has attracted industry accolades and the thriving, growing community already resident at the District.

Once complete, Aire Lofts will consist of 108 one and two-bedroom apartments, with a handful of bespoke penthouses. These have been designed around open, shared outdoor spaces, including a large central green, purposefully bringing residents together to create a social and inclusive community. Every apartment also benefits from south-facing windows to maximise natural light and fresh air, and abundant green space with plants, many of them edible, surrounding the building. A new green space is also set to open imminently with a football pitch, outdoor cooking facilities and a tennis wall for residents to enjoy.

CITU’s in-house design team maximised the internal space of the apartments by eliminating corridors to create spacious, airy and bright rooms with apartments enjoying dual aspect views of Leeds cityscape.

CITU Managing Director Jonathan Wilson said: “CITU is a zero-carbon, place-maker and developer with creativity and design at its core. Often developments treat affordable housing as an inconvenient add-on to be accommodated, rather than an opportunity to build a truly inclusive and diverse community where every person has something of value to contribute.

“We focus on making sustainable living, and inclusive design completely accessible we will of course do the right thing for the right reasons this approach has been rooted in the Climate Innovation District from when the very first home was built. Ultimately, it is about creating a beautiful and sustainable future for all of our residents, irrespective of the journey that brought them here.”

Jimm Reed, LCH Development Director added: “Since the very beginning we have enjoyed a close relationship with CITU and have been really encouraged by their vision of a truly inclusive community where everyone is welcome. You can see that already even with the District only part-occupied, it really is an incredible place.

“As well as the properties available via social rent, we also have three apartments allocated for shared ownership. These are an excellent opportunity for people in Leeds who can’t otherwise afford it to get a foot on the first rung of the property ladder, in an award-winning development, which is such a rarity in a prime city centre location.”

*Shared ownership allows a first-time buyer to purchase up to 75% of the property and pay rent on the remaining part. Anyone interested in shared ownership at Aire Lofts, can find out more at https://leedscommunityhomes.org.uk/climate-innovation-district/

Forty key figures from the property and construction sector recently convened at an Invest in Leicester round table, hosted by Leicester City Council. The event focused on collaborative efforts to address the city’s growing need for affordable housing.

Chris Burgin, Director of Housing at Leicester City Council, outlined the significant challenge: to deliver the volume of affordable homes required annually to meet the needs of the community, encouraging a united approach between the public and private sectors.

The round table session served as a platform for open discussion and exploration of collaboration opportunities. Property executives from Leicester and Leicestershire delved into potential strategies including joint venture models, innovative construction methods and best practice examples of utlilising public sector assets.

Chairing the meeting was Richard Sword, Strategic Director of Leicester City Council, who said: “Delivering affordable housing for our residents is a top priority for the council, and the significant interest and attendance at this round table demonstrates the strong appetite within the industry to collaborate and tackle this challenge together. By working hand-in-hand, we can create housing solutions that are sustainable, accessible, and enrich the lives of our residents.”

The roundtable focused on several housing challenges faced by the City Council, which declared a housing crisis in 2022, calling for urgent action from the central government to ease pressure caused by the growing demand for affordable housing.

Leicester’s Deputy City Mayor for Housing, Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, said: “We have an ambitious plan to deliver housing for the residents of Leicester, however, we know that we cannot deliver this alone, and we need to work with the private sector in order to respond to the housing challenges in the city.

We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with our private sector partners in this endeavour to accelerate the delivery of housing for our residents. The discussions during the recent roundtable have highlighted the enthusiasm of our partners to join forces with us in championing our vision. Together, we are committed to ensuring that our residents gain access to affordable and quality homes.”

The event generated positive feedback from attendees, highlighting the crucial role of public-private partnerships in addressing the city’s housing needs. Participants expressed enthusiasm for continued dialogue and collaborative action.

Rob McGuinn, Vice Chairperson at the property professional services firm MDA Consulting, said: “The collaborative spirit at this round table was inspiring. Collaborating with the council, we can build a mutually beneficial relationship that delivers a future where everyone has access to secure and affordable housing.”

The Invest in Leicester round tables are held quarterly and provide an opportunity for authorities across Leicester City and Leicestershire County to discuss key challenges and opportunities to stimulate collaboration for the good of business and residents.

Work has officially started on a pioneering scheme to create much-needed affordable homes for the local community in a small Yorkshire Dales village.

The first turf of the Hudswell Community Charity project, which will see three modular homes erected on farmland in the village, was cut this week.

The properties add to the three almshouses and three affordable homes the charity has already built to rent to people with a local connection. One of the new homes may be used as an older person’s shared ownership home following a number of enquiries from local people.

A funding package for the £685,000 scheme was drawn up using rent from the current six homes as well as a council grant from the former Richmondshire District Council and a mortgage through the Charity Bank.

The highly sustainable, insulated modular homes are made by Norscot to withstand the harshest weather, using solar panels for electricity generation and mechanical heat ventilation systems. Local suppliers and tradesmen will erect and fit them out, bringing in additional income for the local economy.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for housing, Cllr Simon Myers, said: “Hudswell is a small village of just 250 people and yet it is leading the way in community-led regeneration schemes to keep local people living and working locally. Affordable housing is often a barrier for them to stay in the village communities they have grown up in and Hudswell is doing what it can to put that right.

“These new homes will be delivered very quickly and will also provide work for local people.”

Hudswell Community Charity aims to help maintain the village as a sustainable, mixed community, with a growing number of young families, bucking the trend in the Yorkshire Dales where villages are often dominated by holiday and second homes and an increasingly elderly population.  

Charity secretary Martin Booth said: “We are building these three new homes because we want to be able to meet the demand for housing from young families and people with special needs, who cannot afford to live here, but who have a strong local connection.

“They will be highly adaptable eco-homes, that have low energy costs as they will have high levels of insultation, solar panels, green rooves and infra-red heating systems. They will be ‘smart eco homes’ that are suitable for residents with complex needs.

“A recent report showed that in North Yorkshire there is a significant shortage of affordable homes in large parts of the county and an acute housing shortage within the National Parks. The outcome is that rural and remote areas of the county are ageing, and the younger generation is missing out.

“Our housing provision and other activities contribute towards preventing Hudswell from following this trend and the provision of these new homes will greatly contribute towards this ambition.”

The Charity Bank’s, regional manager, Jeremy Ince, added: “This will be the second loan we have made to the Hudswell Community Charity to help fund the provision of new affordable housing in the village. We are really proud to support such a worthwhile project providing much needed homes for the local community.”  

To be eligible for the new properties, residents need to have a local connection to Hudswell – they need to have lived in the parish for at least three years or have a close family member such as a parent or sibling who has lived in the parish for at least three years.

For someone that wants to return to the parish, they must have previously lived in the local area for at least five out of the last 10 years and be in permanent employment or taking up a permanent post with a business based in the parish.

People are also eligible if they need to move to the parish to provide or receive care and support to or from a family member who has lived in the local area for at least three years.

According to the Government’s UK House Price Index data, buying a home in Hampshire rather than neighbouring and more costly Surrey, could save buyers as much as £135,500, as property prices drop by up to 30% as you move across the county line.  Savvy buyers looking to make the most of the more affordable county should look no further than Bellway’s Sky Plaza development, centrally based in Farnborough.

Hampshire is also one of the Counties that will soon be enjoying faster internet as the Government rolls out a five billion broadband upgrade plan. This investment known as Project Gigabit is good news for those looking to move and will dramatically improve internet speeds, making working from home even more streamlined.

Emma Jones, Sales and Marketing Director at Bellway Thames Valley, comments: “With the community set to benefit from improved internet capability, Bellway is delighted to offer properties in an area that will profit from the government’s investment. Our three-bedroom family homes could provide the perfect work/home balance by being ideally located on the Hampshire and Surrey border. Great connection links to London and the option to explore wonderful local towns and villages present families with endless opportunities to make memories in a beautiful part of the country.”

We now have the Lancaster, a beautiful three bedroom showhome available to view at Sky Plaza and would urge people to get in touch and book an appointment.” 

The Lancaster showcases impressive interiors and would make the perfect family home, plus the property is available with the Government led help to buy scheme where only 5% deposit is needed for first-time buyers.  This home boasts an impressive open plan kitchen and dining area that will be the beating heart of a family home, with elegant French doors to the garden.  Upstairs includes a modern family bathroom, plus two double bedrooms and a single, with a contemporary en suite to bedroom one.

Prices at Sky Plaza start from £425,000 for a three-bedroom home. For further information, please visit www.bellway.co.uk or call 01252 982 394.

Property & Development Magazine

Colindale Estate Regeneration : Award-winning housebuilder and regeneration specialist Hill has formed a partnership with leading housing provider Home Group to deliver the regeneration of the Douglas Bader Park estate in Colindale, in the London borough of Barnet. The new joint venture partnership, Home Hill LLP, will transform the 1970s estate to create over 750 new homes, while ensuring all existing customers benefit from a new, high-quality home.

Douglas Bader Park is a Home Group estate currently comprising 271 existing homes that are in need of upgrading. A ballot carried in 2019 under the Mayor’s mandate that residents vote on estate renewal, found over 75% of residents were in favour of regeneration, on a turnout of 90%.

The proposed masterplan for the estate designed by architects Levitt Bernstein will replace the existing housing with 272 affordable new homes and 481 homes available for private sale, in a mix of tenure blind apartment blocks, maisonettes and houses. All existing residents have been given the option to be rehoused on the estate, with properties ranging in size up to six bedrooms to meet their needs. A detailed planning application was submitted to Barnet Council in December 2020 and construction is planned in three phases that will take approximately ten years to complete.

The Douglas Bader Park estate was built in the 1970s using ‘no-fines’ concrete, which was later found to have poor structural soundness. A full assessment by Home Group in 2016 found the homes fell short of expected standards and that a comprehensive regeneration of the entire estate would be the best long-term approach. Following the resident ballot in favour of regeneration, Home Group and Hill have continued to consult with residents as the plans have been developed, with online engagement taking place over the past year during COVID-19 restrictions.

The proposed development creates a vibrant and leafy new neighbourhood providing improved permeability with footpaths and landscaping including a central square. The wider network of open green space adjacent to the newly transformed estate will be significantly improved and landscaped. The affordable homes include houses, maisonettes and apartments and the properties for private sale will be one and two-bedroom apartments in a series of buildings up to nine floors high. A mixture of car parking including basement, podium and off-street parking is included in the plans, so that cars do not dominate the surrounding area.                                

Andy Hill, Chief Executive at Hill said: “We are extremely pleased to exchange contracts on this joint venture with Home Group through which we will significantly improve the quality of homes and their surroundings for existing Douglas Bader Park residents. The needs and aspirations of current and future residents remain central to our approach, boosted by our extensive experience in delivering successful community-led regeneration.” Joe Cook, Executive Director of Development at Home Group, said: “We were delighted with the response by our customers who were overwhelmingly in favour of the regeneration of Douglas Bader Park.  We consulted extensively and listened carefully, and we will work closely with our customers and continue to listen to them throughout the lifetime of the development. And in doing so, I know that we and our partners Hill, will provide an estate fit for purpose and one in which the community can take pride.”

Property & Development Magazine