Hough Top council homes milestone — Swinnow, Leeds 2026

Key Points

• First seven homes completed and handed over at Hough Top council housing development in Swinnow, near Pudsey.
• Site is former Hough Side High School, demolished in 2021–22; development started end of 2024.
• Scheme will deliver 82 homes (55 houses, 27 apartments) with one- to four-bedroom units for affordable council rent.
• Full completion expected this winter; energy-efficiency measures include individual air source heat pumps.
• Approximately 4,500 sqm of public open space to be created on the site.
• Project is part of Leeds City Council’s Council Housing Growth Programme (CHGP); funded mainly by Right to Buy receipts and borrowing, with £1.64m from West Yorkshire Combined Authority Brownfield Housing Fund.
• Lead contractor Willmott Dixon has delivered social value activity: 125 apprentice training weeks, nearly 75 hours of school engagement, and local career mentoring.
• Local and regional leaders (Councillor Peter Carlill, Mayor Tracy Brabin) and Willmott Dixon’s Yorkshire director Chris Yates have commented on the milestone.
• CHGP has delivered other recent schemes in Seacroft, Gipton and Middleton; other projects such as Middlecross in Armley remain under construction.

Leeds (The Leeds Times) June 4, 2026 —As reported by Councillor Peter Carlill of Leeds City Council, the first seven houses at the Hough Top development in Swinnow, near Pudsey, have been completed and handed to tenants, marking a key milestone in a scheme that will ultimately deliver 82 affordable council homes. The development, built on the former Hough Side High School site that was demolished in 2021 and 2022, began taking shape at the end of 2024 and is scheduled for full completion this winter.

Who is delivering the Hough Top scheme and how is it funded?

As reported by Chris Yates, Yorkshire director at construction company Willmott Dixon, Willmott Dixon is the lead contractor responsible for delivering the scheme and has overseen construction of the first phase of homes while running social value activities in the local area.

The majority of funding comes from Leeds City Council’s housing service using Right to Buy receipts and borrowing. In addition, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Brownfield Housing Fund has contributed a £1.64m grant toward the project, as noted by the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin.

What will the finished development provide for tenants and the wider community?

The finished Hough Top scheme will comprise 55 houses and 27 apartments, offering a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom homes. All properties will be available for affordable rent to council tenants. The scheme also includes plans to create approximately 4,500 square metres of public open space on the previously vacant site, offering recreational and amenity value for the surrounding community.

How will the new homes address energy efficiency and cost-of-living concerns?

Energy efficiency measures are incorporated into the design, with individual air source heat pumps included in the homes to reduce energy usage and, it is anticipated, help tenants with living costs. Both Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire Mayor have framed the scheme as part of a broader effort to deliver energy-efficient, affordable housing in the face of ongoing cost-of-living pressures.

What social value activities have been delivered alongside construction?

Willmott Dixon has delivered a programme of social value alongside the build. As stated by Chris Yates of Willmott Dixon, the contractor has run 125 apprentice training weeks, provided nearly 75 hours of school engagement and carried out career mentoring for local people. The firm’s Building Lives Academy programme is cited as central to creating skills and employment opportunities in the area.

How does Hough Top fit into the wider Council Housing Growth Programme (CHGP) and recent local schemes?

Leeds City Council’s CHGP has previously delivered and acquired hundreds of homes. Recent CHGP successes include a 33-home scheme at Brooklands Avenue in Seacroft and a 55-home development in the Ambertons area of Gipton.

A larger project in Middleton saw 176 homes built on former recreation and skills-centre land, including a 60-apartment extra-care facility at Gascoigne House. Current CHGP builds under construction include Middlecross in Armley, which will provide 65 apartments for affordable rent to people aged over 55 with care and support needs.

What have local leaders said about the milestone at Hough Top?

As reported by Councillor Peter Carlill (Leeds City Council’s executive member for transport and planning),

“We are determined to do everything we can to deliver good quality, energy efficient and affordable council housing in communities across the city. It’s therefore great news that the first homes at Hough Top have been completed and tenants are now settling into them. I was delighted to have the chance to visit this week to see the new houses and the progress being made on the rest of the development. The transformation taking place at Hough Top really does underline the difference that our Council Housing Growth Programme can make to people’s lives – and whole communities.”

As reported by Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire,

“At a time when people are facing cost of living pressures, delivering new, affordable homes has never been so important. Devolution is making a real difference for communities, through our £110m investment to accelerate the delivery of thousands of much-needed homes in Pudsey and across West Yorkshire. Working in partnership with Leeds City Council, we’re not just building homes, we’re building brighter futures and investing in places where people can live, work and thrive for generations to come.”

As reported by Chris Yates of Willmott Dixon,

“Handing over the first seven homes is a significant milestone for Hough Top and, above all, for the families now moving in. It marks the point at which years of planning and construction begin to make a tangible difference to people’s lives. Our local team has brought considerable housing expertise to this scheme, working closely with Leeds City Council to deliver high quality, energy efficient homes that meet a genuine local need. We are equally focused on the legacy we leave beyond the buildings – creating skills and employment opportunities for local people through our Building Lives Academy programme and our engagement with nearby schools and colleges. We look forward to completing the remaining homes this winter.”

What are the project timescales and next steps?

Construction began in late 2024. With the first seven homes now completed and occupied, work continues on the remainder of the 82-home scheme with full completion expected during the coming winter.

The project’s next steps include finishing the remaining dwellings, completing landscaping and open space works, and concluding the social value programme commitments delivered by the contractor.

Why was the Hough Top site available for housing development and how does CHGP operate?

The Hough Top site was previously occupied by Hough Side High School; the school buildings were demolished in 2021 and 2022, leaving the land vacant.

Leeds City Council’s Council Housing Growth Programme (CHGP) uses council resources alongside external funding to build and acquire affordable homes for the city.

The CHGP has delivered schemes across Leeds — from smaller developments such as the 33-home Brooklands Avenue project to larger, mixed developments like the 176-home Middleton project, which included extra-care accommodation. Funding sources for CHGP schemes commonly include the council’s Right to Buy receipts, borrowing, and targeted grants such as the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund.

Explore More Pudsey News

Council Fixes Mistaken Roker Lane Sign: Pudsey 2026

Police Launch Search for Missing Schoolboy Cooper in Pudsey 2026

Prediction: How might this development affect council tenants, the local community and housing supply in Leeds?

• Housing supply: The addition of 82 affordable homes will marginally ease local housing pressure by increasing the stock of council-rented accommodation in a part of Leeds where demand for affordable, family-sized homes is high.
• Tenants’ cost-of-living: Energy-efficiency features such as individual air source heat pumps may reduce household energy bills compared with older housing stock, potentially offering modest relief from ongoing cost-of-living pressures for tenants.
• Local economy and skills: Willmott Dixon’s apprenticeship and engagement activity is likely to create short- to medium-term benefits for local skills development and employment pathways, improving prospects for some residents seeking construction-sector roles.
• Community amenities: Creation of roughly 4,500 sqm of public open space should improve local amenity and neighbourhood livability, but the net effect will depend on long-term maintenance arrangements and community uptake.
• Wider policy impact: The Hough Top handovers underscore the CHGP’s capacity to deliver on council and regional housing priorities; if the project completes on time and performs as expected, it may strengthen case studies used to secure future funding and support for similar brownfield developments.