About the project

Public Engagement Events will be held at:

Kirkstall Educational Cricket Club, Queenswood Drive, LS6 3HT on:

1.  Wednesday 2 April 4pm - 6.30pm
2.  Friday 4 April 11am -1pm

These are listening events for the community to provide feedback.   Feedback will be recorded and discussed as part of the Council Housing Growth development process and will feed into the planning application. 

New Council Homes in West Park, Kirkstall 

The Council Housing Growth Team is proposing to build new council housing at Queenswood Drive in West Park, Kirkstall (former Beckett Park Community Centre).   

The proposal will help to deliver much-needed affordable housing in Kirkstall and will make good use of a previously developed (brownfield) site.

Before we submit the planning application, we feel it is important to make local residents aware of the proposal and to consider the views of local people at this stage. This will allow us to take into account your views prior to the planning application being submitted. 

Please note, you will also be able to comment on the planning application. 

The Proposal

The design has been developed using early feedback obtained from the Local Planning Authority via a pre-planning application. 

The development will consist of:

• A 4 Storey Apartment building providing 20 apartments (1 & 2 beds).
• Car Parking Area for residents (14 spaces proposed including 2 accessible)
• Landscaped outdoor areas for residents

All homes will be let and managed by Leeds City Council. 

All homes will offer high standards for design quality, space and energy efficiency and the site will include accessible accommodation, capable of adaptations to suit people’s needs.

New build council properties are advertised via the Leeds Homes Website (please note these homes will not yet be advertised): Home - Leeds Homes.

For more information on renting new council homes, please email: nbh@leeds.gov.uk

Local Ward Members have been, and will continue to be, consulted on the scheme. 

Development of the site for new build council housing will create job opportunities, work experience placements and apprenticeships.

Why has this site been chosen? 

The Council Housing Growth Team (CHGT) are working to deliver new affordable quality homes to meet increasing need in the city. This housing development would support the council’s priorities of providing quality, affordable housing where it is needed.

There is a shortage of affordable housing in the Kirkstall Ward with an average of 448 bids for each home advertised in the local area. The demand is greatest for one and two bedroomed homes which can be best met on the site with an apartment building. 

This proposal will also bring a currently unused site back into use.

The homes will include renewable energy solutions and the scheme will focus on helping reduce carbon emissions, improving air quality and tackling fuel poverty.

We recognise the importance of biodiversity and the new development will be required to comply with planning policy on these matters.

Traffic assessments will be carried out and the council’s Highways Department have been consulted. We will work hard to minimise the impact of traffic for existing residents, both during and after construction.

What happens next?

The Council Housing Growth Team will review and consider all comments received prior to the submission of the formal planning application. 

Once the planning application is submitted, members of the public can provide formal feedback to the Local Planning Authority as part of the statutory planning process. The planning application can be viewed on Leeds Planning Authority’s Public Access webpage and this is also where formal comments or objections can be submitted. 

www.leeds.gov.uk/planning/planning-permission/view-and-comment-on-planning-applications

Please see the Contact Us at the bottom of this page. 

Please note the deadline for all comments is Friday 18 April 2025.

Contact Us:

Email: CHGqueenswooddrive@leeds.gov.uk

Telephone:  0113 3782815

Alternatively you can post your comments to us at:

Council Housing Growth Team, 10th Floor East, Merrion House, 110 Merrion Centre, LS2 8BB