Date published: 11 July 2024
The event was held at The Fold on Calverley Lane in Horsforth, where the leading housing provider is building 152 homes.
Representatives from Stonewater were joined by Homes England, who are part-funding the scheme, and the Vistry Group, who are building the homes as well as offering apprenticeships on site. Vistry recently joined forces with Stonewater to take part in a local litter pick with Newlaithes Primary School.
The event was a tremendous success with nearly 30 people attending, including pupils from Newlaithes Primary School. Following speeches and a buffet lunch Sheila Collins, Chairman at Stonewater, cut the ribbon on the 7000th home and a cake in the shape of a house, and planted a commemorative tree in the estate too.
The first homes at Calverley Lane were completed in March, with some delighted residents having already moved in. The rest of the site due to be complete by the end of the year.
The homes consist of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses for shared ownership and Rent to Buy, with a mixture of apartments and houses for affordable rent. They are being let to local people through the Leeds Homes system.
Along with other developments, including Harrap Meadows, York Road and Otley Road, Stonewater now manages more than 2,000 affordable homes in Yorkshire.
Previously a Leeds City College campus, Calverley Lane features energy saving technologies including air source heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points. There is also an ecological area with ‘no mow’ zone, hedgehog highways, woodland path and play area for customers and visitors to enjoy.
The eco and biodiversity features stem from Stonewater’s ambitious sustainability plan, with the housing provider recently launching the Greenoak Centre of Excellence and celebrating the 30,000th tree planted as part of its longstanding initiative with Community Forest Trust.
Nicholas Harris, Stonewater’s Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted to have marked our 7000th new home - an exciting milestone that showcases our commitment to providing much-needed affordable housing for those who need it most.
“There is a lot to be done to meet the need for high-quality social housing across the country at a vital time for customers. Developments like Calverley Lane prove that with the right partnerships and funding, high-quality social housing can be delivered in a sustainable and future-proofed way.
“It was fantastic to see the progress on site, and to celebrate the achievement with our colleagues, partners, sector representatives and the local community.”
Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, added: “The homes being built at Calverley Lane site are contributing to meeting the identified need for 1,230 affordable homes in Leeds each year.
“Partnerships such as those with Stonewater are crucial in working towards delivering the number of homes we need across the city and it’s wonderful to see the site progressing and happy customers moving in to these well planned, sustainable homes.”
As well as being the site of Stonewater’s 7000th new home since it was established in 2015, Calverley Lane is also the scheme chosen to showcase the winning design from the housing provider’s successful Blunden Prize.
The 2023 winner, local stonemason Patrick Walls, is working on a public art sculpture and benches reflecting local details, being developed in collaboration with the local community through a series of stone carving workshops.