Bellway in £1.2 billion scheme to transform East Leeds

Bellway Homes have agreed a joint venture with Leeds City Council to deliver a £1.2 billion 20-year regeneration scheme that will transform some of Leeds’ most deprived areas.

Following intensive negotiations, members of Leeds City Council’s Executive Board have agreed a decision to back a strategic partnership with Bellway that will deliver the EASEL (East and South East Leeds) scheme.

The EASEL scheme spans one of the largest regeneration areas in the country covering an area of 1,700 hectares and four council wards. Bellway and the Council will establish a dedicated jointly owned company which will reinvest the proceeds of development into a wide-ranging social as well as physical programme.

Plans for EASEL include more than 5,000 new homes, new neighbourhood centres, schools, health provision and public realm. Investment in social infrastructure, the environment and local enterprise will combine to ensure that a new local housing market is created.

Cllr Les Carter, executive board member for Neighbourhoods and Housing, said:
“The approval of this partnership is an important milestone in our bold new vision for this part of the city. The £1.2 billion EASEL project is a major long-term commitment to improve one of the city’s most deprived areas.

Only the right partnership with an experienced major developer can provide the solutions needed. This partnership with Bellway fits the bill and is the result of many months of hard work and detailed negotiation.

We can now move forward with this joint venture and begin to tackle the root causes of deprivation in East and South East Leeds, helping to ensure a bright and prosperous future for the communities that live there.”

Chief Executive of Bellway, John Watson said: "The EASEL joint venture will not only rebuild large areas of Leeds but will also invest in social and environmental projects geared towards transforming levels of aspiration and opportunity for local people.

"EASEL is a blueprint for large-scale housing replacement programmes which are needed across the UK and where private finance can be captured to help pump-prime regeneration."

Planning applications for more than 700 new homes on eight initial sites in Gipton and Seacroft have already been submitted with a view to building commencing later this year.