Cheers to new council homes

Tenants will soon be able to raise a glass and toast their new council home, built on the site of a former pub.

What was once home to the Squinting Cat in Swarcliffe has been transformed into 18 new apartments now known as The Plantation.

The high-quality properties have been designed and built with older people in mind and benefit from a lift, off street parking and landscaped communal gardens.

Britcon UK Ltd were appointed to build the six one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom apartments which have been sited to make the most of the sunshine to help reduce running and heating costs for tenants.

The homes are part of the council’s ambitious plans to build around 1,000 new council homes and bringing brownfield sites back into use. The former Squinting Cat pub was once a target on the council’s derelict and nuisance building hitlist.

Councillor Debra Coupar, executive member for communities, said:

“We’ve been ambitious in setting out plans to build nearly 1,000 news homes, but this isn’t just a numbers game. There is real need for genuinely affordable housing that suits a range of needs right across the city.

“The new flats here in Swarcliffe show that we can provide new homes for an older generation and in doing so, we can free up much needed council homes for other families.”

Councillor Richard Lewis, executive member for regeneration, transport and planning, said:

“We needed to call time on the former pub site and get it back into use.

“Regenerating key brownfield sites in the heart of communities will help reinvigorate these areas, and where we can, get rid of eyesore buildings.”

Paul Clarkson, managing director at Britcon, said:

“We are delighted to deliver these affordable, low maintenance, energy efficient and sustainable homes. We used a timber frame construction to meet the high energy, thermal, acoustic and air tight requirements to deliver well-engineered and comfortable accommodation.

“Throughout the build we also met key employment and skills social responsibility targets that are an important element to any projects that we complete for Leeds City Council.”

The apartments conform to the Leeds Standard, embodying the best in design.

With the Leeds Standard, the council aims to demonstrate through its own homes that quality design with set standards for space, heating, ventilation, flexibility, character and green space can leave a positive legacy for communities.