Hundreds of new homes could be built on Calderdale brownfield sites

West Yorkshire Combined Authority said approximately 4,563 properties, including 1,947 affordable homes, can be built across Yorkshire n in two phases, with £61.68m from the Government’s Housing Brownfield Fund.

That includes 2162 homes in Leeds, 850 in Bradford, 759 in Kirklees, 403 in Calderdale, and 392 in Wakefield.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority has already given £2.75m of that money to the developers who are building 928 homes as part of the Points Cross development in Hunslet, Leeds.

According to the authority, that project is “currently on track”.

The first homes are due to be completed in March 2023.

It also says a team is currently drawing up 26 business cases – to show the Government how the money can be used to support various other developments – and this “is extremely challenging but is necessary to kickstart delivery on site”.

It comes after the Government promised to provide £66.7m of funding to support the construction of up to 6,000 homes in the region.

Around £400m will be handed from Brownfield Land Fund, which is due to support the development of arpproximately 24,000 homes, and the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Sheffield City Region, North of Tyne and Tees Valley have all been promised a share.

The money comes with a number of conditions, as each authority must prove that each development needs public sector funding and work on those homes can begin by March 31 in 2025.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority states it is willing to comply with the conditions, but it may need £78.68m, as it plans to use £61.68m to support brownfield developments during the first two phases of the project and another £17m during the third phase.

The use of the funding will be discussed at a meeting of the authority’s Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee on Monday, September 6.

A report prepared for the committee states: “The proposed Brownfield Housing Fund pipeline has the potential to positively contribute to the Mayor’s ambitions for West Yorkshire

and their pledge to Build 5,000 sustainable homes including council houses and affordable homes.

“Several projects offer potential for 100 per cent affordable housing in deprived communities across the region, as well as bringing back underutilised and derelict land and property into productive use.”

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin’s promise to provide another 5,000 affordable homes in the region over the next three years could be surpassed.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority says detailed analysis shows up to 8,276 homes could be feasibly delivered.

But in a report, the authority also said it is “too early to say with confidence exactly when and where” they will be built and the process will be “complex, with technical and practical challenges affecting timescales and delivery plans”.

Each property will be rented out at a discounted rate (up to 80 per cent of market value).