Accent spends £29 million on new homes in Leeds

Published by Heather Jacklin for Accent Group in Housing

24 new two and three bedroom houses in Woodlesford are the latest to be completed in a three year partnership to build over 300 new homes across the city between Accent Foundation and Leeds City Council.  

The new homes, on Stonewaite Close, bring the total to 325 new homes on eight sites in the south and west of Leeds at a cost of over £29,000,000.

12 of the new homes in Woodlesford are for social rent and 12 are availble as low cost shared ownership, giving local people the chance to buy a home at a price they can afford.

All 325 homes in total are a mixture of family housing and homes for people over the age of 55, and they have been developed in close consultation with local people.  

279 of the homes are for rent, and have been offered to local people in housing need on Leeds City Council’s housing register. 46 are available as shared ownership and Accent gave people from nearby communities the first chance to buy them, to keep them owned and occupied by local people.

The partnership has not only brought new homes to the community, but also jobs and training for local people. In total, Accent has created 33 new jobs and 24 apprenticeships.

Accent Foundation Managing Director Claire Stone said: “As a local landlord, we are absolutely committed to serving the people in the communities we work in. Our partnership with Leeds has enabled us to help over 300 families, not just by providing them with new homes, but with jobs, apprenticeships and a real chance of work. This has been our biggest partnership in recent years and I am very pleased to see it has been such a success for everyone involved. Although our development activity has reached its end, our partnership will continue to serve the people of Leeds long into the future”.

The Homes and Communities Agency have part funded the entire development partnership with a grant of £16,000,000.