More than 100 homes in Holbeck have been upgraded with energy efficiency improvements as part of a major £15.9m regeneration scheme led by Leeds City Council.
The Heart of Holbeck programme is providing upgrades to more than 150 back-to-back terraced homes across the area. Ten months after work began, properties spread across roads west of Holbeck Moor – including Rydall Place, Rydall Terrace, Shafton Street, Shafton View and Crosby Terrace – have now received their improvements.
Councillor Asghar Khan, Leeds's executive member for housing and hubs, visited the area to mark the milestone alongside representatives from construction partner Equans.
What the upgrades include
The improvements are designed to make older homes cheaper and easier to heat. Work includes new roofs, insulation of attic rooms and roof voids, chimney repairs, guttering and downpipe replacement, and installation of double-glazed windows and thermally efficient doors.
External wall insulation with a brick-slip finish has also been applied to improve the visual appearance of properties. Communal areas such as bin yards have been upgraded to enhance the wider street scene.
The homes receiving upgrades are a mix of council-owned, owner-occupied and private rental sector properties. Many of Holbeck's back-to-back terraces are more than 100 years old and harder to heat than modern buildings.
Wider regeneration plans
The housing upgrades are the first scheme to be delivered through Heart of Holbeck, which aims to reduce deprivation and create a better-connected environment. The programme has been designed to support and enhance the physical and mental wellbeing of residents.
Other schemes in the wider Heart of Holbeck programme continue to move closer to starting on site. The overall work is due for completion by spring 2028.
Heart of Holbeck has been funded by central government and is being led by Leeds City Council alongside partners Leeds Building Society and the Holbeck Together charity.
Similar improvements to around 300 homes in Holbeck were carried out by the council prior to the launch of the current regeneration programme.
Councillor Mary Harland, Leeds City Council's deputy leader and executive member for communities and community safety, said: "The housing upgrades are a great example of how the programme will make Holbeck a cleaner, greener and, perhaps most importantly, healthier place to live."