City-centre affordable apartments
BREE Construction delivered St Johns House on Merrion Street in Leeds, 23 affordable apartments for Leeds and Yorkshire Housing. The scheme was built on land sold by Leeds City Council and supported by a grant from the Homes and Communities Agency, bringing new affordable homes to a central city-centre location between 2015 and 2017.
The development was designed by the Leeds-based practice Brewster Bye Architects, who shaped the apartment building for its tight urban plot. Work began with the demolition, in January 2016, of the former Kendall Carr building on Hanover Mount, clearing the way for the new homes on a constrained site close to the heart of the city.
Opening and occupation
St Johns House was officially opened by the Chief Executive of Leeds and Yorkshire Housing together with Councillor Debra Coupar, marking the formal handover of the completed scheme. The opening underlined the role of a small, standalone Leeds-based housing association in adding affordable homes within the city centre.
The building has been in active residential use since occupation, with the Merrion Street and Hanover Mount address established as a settled place to live. Compact in scale but well located, St Johns House shows how a tight, previously developed city-centre plot can be turned into quality affordable apartments in the heart of Leeds, making efficient use of land in a location where space is at a premium.
Affordable housing in the heart of the city
St Johns House illustrates the role that public-sector support and a focused local housing association can play in delivering affordable homes where land is scarce and values are high. The scheme made productive use of a previously developed plot, replacing a redundant building with 23 new apartments, and shows how a modest, well-judged scheme can add lasting affordable homes to a city centre.
