New Wortley Housing Association
Details:
The ambitious local community of New Wortley aims to address local housing need by building affordable housing that is owned by the community, for the community. The plans are co- designed with community members, allowing them to take the lead on all aspects of the development.
New Wortley Housing Association (NWHA) is a subsidiary of the New Wortley Community Association (NWCA), a local charity that has major ambitions to improve the quality of life for residents of New Wortley. In recent years it has attracted over £2.2 million pounds of direct investment into the area, creating 20 jobs for local people and helping 36 volunteers into work. The community suggested building new housing on our estate and this project has evolved from these initial conversations.
Power to Change – a national fund keen to promote community businesses in England – has supported plans to this stage with a grant of £75,000, providing resources for consultation, business planning, legal work, surveys and outline plans. In addition to this, Homes England have awarded the Community Association £50,000 to help get the project up to the development stage. Further support of £40,500 has been obtained from Nationwide Building Society to develop and promote this community owned housing.
The Community Association has moved quickly, setting up a subsidiary Housing Association as the proposed registered provider to manage the project, and has joined the Accent group of Housing Associations to advise and act as an Investment partner. The Association has also appointed Unity Housing Association to be its development agent, and LEDA Architects to begin designing our houses. At present, we aim to achieve planning permission in October 2019 and be on site in spring 2020 with the hope of letting the properties by spring 2021.
We plan on building the houses on several pieces of land at Holdforth Place, and subject to planning permission, this pilot stage off the project is proposed to contain:
– 15 three-bed houses arranged in five blocks of three at the end of Holdforth Gardens and Bruce Lawn.
– 7 accessible two-bed flats for over 55s in a split level two-and-a-half storey block at the end of Holdforth Place.
– 1 two bed duplex at the end of Holdforth Place.
We have further identified potential land for up to 140 units in our local area and have opened discussions with the land owner – Leeds City Council to release this land for a potential second phase for this exciting project.
How can people get involved?
If you are interested in any aspect of the development, design, building, or community engagement of the project, we want to hear from you! There are lots if different ways in which local people can get involved in this exciting project, so please get in touch with our project coordinator Gemma, or drop into the New Wortley Community Centre.
Contact: Gemma Gates (Project Coordinator)
Email: gemma.gates@newwortleycc.org
We hold events on a one-off and irregular basis, and share information of this across our social media pages.
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