Bellway gets £1.2bn Leeds regeneration plan

Bellway Homes has signed a contract with Leeds City Council for a £1.2 bn (EUR 1.76 bn) 20-year regeneration scheme that will transform some of Leeds' most deprived areas. Members of Leeds City Council's Executive Board agreed on Friday to back a strategic partnership with developer Bellway that will deliver one of the largest regeneration areas in the UK, called the East and South-East Leeds (EASEL) scheme.

The EASEL masterplan covers an area of 1,700 hectares and four council districts, and plans include the development of 5,000 new homes - with planning applications for the first 700 already submitted, new neighbourhood centres, schools, health provision and public realm. The housebuilder and the Council will set up a dedicated jointly-owned company which will reinvest the proceeds of development into a wide-ranging social programme.

Bellway's ceo John Watson said: 'The EASEL joint venture will not only rebuild large areas of Leeds, but will also invest in social and environmental projects geared towards transforming levels of aspiration and opportunity for local people. EASEL is a blueprint for large-scale housing replacement programmes which are needed across the UK and where private finance can be captured to help pump-prime regeneration.'

The area included in the EASEL scheme is home to some 79,000 people and the council hopes the work will help attract a further 10,000 into the area, and create 2,000 new jobs.