Planning permission granted for 700 new homes in this area of Leeds

Templegate Developments Limited, the joint venture partnership of Evans Property Group and Keyland Developments, has secured planning permission from Leeds City Council to build a further 700 homes at its 170 acre Skelton Gate site in the Leeds Aire Valley. This takes the total number of homes to up to 1,800.

Initial planning consent was granted at the former open cast colliery site, to the east of Junction 45 of the M1, in November 2017 for the creation of a new sustainable community including 1,100 homes, a primary and secondary school, public open space, a local centre and a convenience store, as well as associated infrastructure.

A spokesman said: “Following Leeds City Council’s full council approving the adoption of the Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan (AVLAAP), land at Skelton Gate was allocated for a further 700 dwellings, to complement the already consented scheme and to enable a sustainable extension to the Main Urban Area.”

The contractor Hall Construction Services Limited is now on-site preparing the ground for development and delivering the Phase 1 infrastructure for the scheme, which is being funded by a £20M Home Building Fund loan from Homes England, the government’s housing agency. Phase 1 will deliver 30 net acres of serviced land by Spring 2020.

The Homes England loan is funding the delivery of infrastructure and ground preparation works for all three phases, which in total will cost of over £50M.

Peter Garrett, Managing Director of Keyland Developments, said; “The consent to create a total of 1,800 new homes at Skelton Gate will ensure that the development achieves its full potential as a sustainable community within the Aire Valley. The higher total number of homes not only assists in meeting the council’s long-term housing requirements, but also supports the provision of the education facilities on the site including the school, local centre and social and green infrastructure.”

James Pitt, Development Director at Evans Property Group, said; “Work is progressing well on-site where the multi-million pound Home Building Fund loan from Homes England has unlocked the first of three phases of development. The regeneration of the Aire Valley through a sustainable pattern of development is being realised through collaborative working and the securing of this significant planning consent for the extra 700 homes at Skelton Gate is a key part of that longer-term strategy.”

Neil Milligan, Head of Infrastructure and Complex Projects at Homes England added: “The addition of 700 extra new properties at Skelton Gate will ensure more quality homes are available for people in the Aire Valley. We’re pleased to be supporting the development of this new community by investing in infrastructure through our Home Building Fund and look forward to seeing this new neighbourhood take shape.”

As part of the development proposals, Templegate Developments Limited is also transferring its interests in those parts of Skelton Lake within the site to Leeds City Council in order for the Council to create, possibly in partnership with the RSPB, a new nature reserve. Templegate Developments has also committed to a significant financial contribution to the ongoing management cost of the nature reserve.