More misery for Leeds residents fighting to save their Oulton housing estate from demolition

Residents on a former National Coal Board housing estate in Leeds are angry and upset after the latest blow in a three-year fight to save their homes and close knit community.

They are to be given notice to quit after their private landlord announced plans to demolish the properties. Worcester based Pemberstone, which owns the 70 post-war, prefabricated houses in Oulton, wants to replace them with new-builds in an area now deemed up-and-coming.

The tenants’ only hope of keeping their long-term homes is persuading Leeds City Council or a housing association to buy the properties to add to their social housing stock. The council declined but revealed this week that it was looking at buying a long leasehold for “at least 40 flats” at Kingsdale Court, Seacroft, following years of antisocial behaviour and neglect. The authority said the planned purchase and refurbishment could improve living conditions in the area, while providing much-needed council-housing stock for Seacroft.

Cindy Readman, part of the Oulton residents’ action group who faces losing her home of 16 years, says: “People here are upset and angry that the council can even consider buying the homes at Seacroft when they have flatly refused to buy the properties here on many occasions. It’s as though we are being punished for our good behaviour. As for the council providing much-needed, affordable rented housing stock for Seacroft, there is a huge need here in Oulton and Rothwell.

“We know that because we have looked and there are no affordable housing options for people on low income here as the area is now seen as desirable. It means that if we are forced out of our homes, we will also be forced out of the area too.”

Leeds City Council says it has identified Seacroft as a priority neighbourhood and adds: “Despite enforcement action and ongoing police attention, Kingsdale Court has continued to attract criminal and anti-social activity, with the buildings and grounds deteriorating significantly. This directly affects the lives of residents and tenants within and around the area and requires proactive intervention by the council. The council is proposing to acquire part of the site with a view to eventual demolition and rebuild for new affordable family homes.

“With regards to Sugar Hill in Oulton, the council has ongoing and close contact with residents in this area. Last month, an Independent Planning Inspector approved an application for the redevelopment of the site submitted by the owner and drew on professional advice which noted that the refurbishment of the existing properties would not be cost effective.

The council has committed to working with the site owner to find ways of maximising the amount of affordable housing onsite for existing tenants and minimising the numbers who need to be relocated. These two matters are entirely separate and the proposal at Seacroft is to acquire properties for redevelopment of new homes, not retention and refurbishment.”

The prefabricated rental properties in Oulton were built in 1953 to house workers from nearby collieries. The coal board sold the estate and since 1990, there have been three different owners. Some of the residents have lived on Sugar Hill Lane and Wordsworth Drive in Oulton for over 50 years.

While 11 former miners, who are on old-style tenancy agreements, must legally be rehoused at Pemberstone’s proposed new development, their neighbours will be forced to leave as they all have shorthold tenancies that require just a month’s notice to quit.

Cindy Readman says: “We thought that because some of the houses had protected tenancies we would all be ok but we aren’t and now we face moving."

Pemberstone says it made attempts to sell to Leeds City Council and adds that the prefabricated “Airey” homes are past their expected lifespan and the cost of refurbishing is not financially viable, though residents point out that this has been done elsewhere in the country.

Cindy Readman says: “All this is heartbreaking but we won’t leave without a fight.”

If anyone can help or advise the community on how to save their homes email [email protected]