Council housing scheme makes a splash with tribute to swimming champ Doris

The Leeds City Council development – which comprises 25 one-bedroom apartments and eight two and three-bedroom houses – has been built on brownfield land at Brooklands Avenue in Seacroft.

Its apartments are all located in a building that has been named in honour of the late east Leeds swimmer Doris Storey, who was just 19 when she won two gold medals in Sydney at the Empire Games of 1938.

And yesterday (Monday, September 8) two of Doris’s grandchildren, brothers Darren and Damian Quarmby, were joined at Brooklands Avenue by senior councillors and other stakeholders for an event celebrating the imminent completion of the scheme.

They took a tour of the Doris Storey House apartment building during their visit to the development, which forms part of Leeds’s Council Housing Growth Programme (CHGP).

All 33 new homes at Brooklands Avenue will be available for affordable rent by council tenants, providing a welcome boost for an area where there is significant housing demand.

Councillor Jess Lennox, Leeds City Council’s executive member for housing, said:

“It was great to attend the event at Brooklands Avenue, a development which highlights the impressive results being delivered by our Council Housing Growth Programme.

“I paid a visit to the site when work was just starting early last year, so to see it now, filled with high-quality and affordable homes ready for the arrival of new tenants, is something really special.

“It’s important for a scheme such as this to look and feel like part of the wider community and – by honouring the exploits of Doris Storey, a genuine local hero – it is doing exactly that.”

Yesterday’s event also saw the official unveiling of an eye-catching mural in the foyer of Doris Storey House.

Created by artist Alexandra Elstone with grant support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the mural features a stylised depiction of a female swimmer in competitive action.

The unveiling was attended by pupils from Seacroft’s Beechwood Primary School, who were asked last year to come up with a suitable name for the building and – after researching a whole host of possible choices – decided it should pay tribute to Doris.

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said:

“I think it’s vital that we, as a city, celebrate the part that culture of all kinds – including sport and art – has played and continues to play in the rich and endlessly-fascinating story of Leeds.

“I was delighted, therefore, to join Alexandra Elstone to perform the official unveiling of her new mural at Doris Storey House.

“It’s a stunning piece of work and a fine example of how modern-day Leeds can show its appreciation for the people from the past whose dedication and talent helped make our city great.”

Guests at the event were also given a sneak preview of a new Leeds Civic Trust blue plaque honouring Doris’s achievements.

The plaque’s permanent home will be the old York Road baths in Richmond Hill, where Doris fitted in training sessions around her job as a machinist at the Burton’s factory on nearby Hudson Road.

A date is due to be announced shortly for the plaque’s official unveiling at the York Road building, which is now operated as a gym by The Gym Group.

Doris represented Great Britain at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin before striking gold two years later at the Empire Games, the forerunner to today’s Commonwealth Games.

Martin Hamilton, director of Leeds Civic Trust, said:

“Our blue plaques scheme celebrates the people and places that have shaped Leeds, helping us remember their achievements and the city’s proud history.

“Doris’s story is one of dedication and community spirit, and her plaque will help ensure that legacy is not forgotten.”

Most of the cost of the Brooklands Avenue development is being met by the council, while additional support has come from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund.

The scheme has been delivered by Wates Construction, with the handover of the homes to the council scheduled for next week ahead of the first residents moving in.

Wates has carried out a wide-ranging community engagement programme in Seacroft since work began on the development in late 2023. The programme’s positive results include:

• Connecting with more than 1,330 local students via school activities, work experience, site visits and other initiatives;
• Supporting the Seacroft Community On Top group with a £10,000 grant from the Wates Family Enterprise Trust;
• Lending a hand at the Seacroft Forest Garden community green space, with members of the Brooklands Avenue construction team putting in 110 hours of volunteering time there.

David Wingfield, managing director of Construction East at Wates, said:

“I’m incredibly proud of the homes we’ve built at Brooklands Avenue. This development is a testament to the care, quality and commitment that Wates brings to every project.

“These are homes designed to last, to provide places where people can feel proud to live, build their futures and truly thrive.

“It’s been a privilege to work alongside Leeds City Council to deliver housing that meets real local need while honouring the legacy of a local hero.”

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:

“These new homes are a fantastic addition to Seacroft, offering affordable, high-quality places for families to call their own.

“It’s also fitting that they honour Doris Storey, whose achievements continue to inspire.

“By investing in sites like this through our Brownfield Housing Fund, we’re building the homes local people need while protecting our green spaces for future generations.”

More than 350 new homes have been built via the council’s CHGP since 2018. More than 450 homes have also been acquired as part of the programme, with these properties and the new-builds both contributing to efforts to ease local affordable housing pressures.

Locations where new homes have recently been delivered by the CHGP include Barncroft Close in Seacroft and Scott Hall Drive in Chapel Allerton as well as a site in Middleton formerly occupied by Throstle Recreation Ground and Middleton Skills Centre.

Places where CHGP schemes are currently under construction include the Ambertons area of Gipton, Hough Top in Swinnow and the former Middlecross Day Centre site in Armley.

Note to editors:

Brownfield is a planning term for land which has been developed at some point in the past but is now unused and therefore offers scope for regeneration.

ENDS