Site of Second World War munitions factory could become houses after deal struck

Developers Lovell Partnerships have done a deal with Leeds City Council to build more than 100 houses on the former Royal Ordnance Factory at Thorp Arch, and have now submitted detailed plans to the council for approval.

However, a local councillor has warned there were still concerns about the site, and that work needed to be done to ensure the area’s character was preserved.

Lovell’s says it anticipates starting construction work on the site in October this year and, in its current form is made up of 119 homes, 42 of which will be affordable via a registered housing provider.

Robert Adams, regional managing director for Lovell Eastern said: “This site will provide much needed homes for the community along with jobs and investment.

“We would like to thank Homes England for the work done to ensure that we were able to purchase the site quickly, enabling us to get started on the planning process.”

Wetherby Councillor Alan Lamb (Con) said: “We have been keeping a close eye on this. There are still some local concerns that need to be addressed, and I hope the developers will engage proactively with the community. We hope they can deliver a scheme and improvements to the local community.

“The site is adjacent to the village of Walton, which has 90 houses, so in terms of scale, this is significant – if you double the size of any community, there will be concerns for the people that already live there.”

The company confirmed the site has an outline planning consent and a reserved matters application has now been submitted. This means the council agrees with the principle of building housing on the site, but is yet to agree the detailed plans.

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