Leeds City Council appoint contractor to help shape new council homes

Leeds City Council has appointed a contractor to help shape and deliver the next phase of ambitious plans to provide new council housing.

Kier Living, the residential division of Kier Group, has been selected to design and build 71 units across three sites.

The three sites include Garnets, Broadleas and Whinmoor and are the next phase of the council house growth programme which aims to build around 1,000 new council homes over the next three years.

Kier will be working with Leeds City Council to finalise details for 25 council homes at the Garnets in Hunslet and 24 properties in Bramley, both of which have planning permission in place.

The Whinmoor site is yet to have plans drawn up, however Kier will have a blank canvas to work with, giving them the opportunity to bring innovative design and layout to approximately 22 properties on site.

This will be the first time that Leeds City Council have taken a new approach with a contractor, however it will allow Kier to be creative and suggest their own designs whilst working closely with the council and suggesting solutions.

Councillor Debra Coupar, Executive Member for Communities, said: “Rather than ask a contractor to build to a set specification, we’ve asked Kier to become an integral part of creating a new generation of council homes.”

The homes will conform to the Leeds Standard, ensuring properties are sustainable, spacious and energy efficient.

Jon Rukin Operations Director at Kier, said: “Kier is pleased to have been selected for this exciting opportunity to deliver much needed affordable homes and to be an integral part in the delivery of the council house growth programme in Leeds. The council’s innovation in the procurement process allows us to become involved much earlier in the design and development stages and to use our breadth of capability to bring these projects to site.”

This phase of the council house growth project is worth almost £10 million with the construction value of each site being £3.5M, £3.4M and £3M respectively.

 

 

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