Frequently asked questions
About the homes
Why are you redeveloping the homes?
The existing Airey homes were intended as a short-term solution to provide housing after the Second World War. Today, these homes do not meet modern housing standards and require intrusive remedial works to ensure they are structurally compliant with current building safety regulations.
As they are no longer fit for purpose, we are redeveloping the homes to provide modern and safe housing for local people. Read more about the history of the estate.
I thought the homes were for open market sale?
The previous owner of the estate did submit planning permission to redevelop the site for market sale homes. When we purchased the scheme in September 2022, planning approval had been granted but as a not-for-profit housing association we saw the opportunity to regenerate the homes to provide much-needed, comfortable affordable housing.
By agreeing to provide homes for affordable rent and shared ownership (a part-rent, part-buy home ownership scheme) rather than market sale, we could progress the development and enable the ten residents currently living on the estate to move into the brand-new homes under the same agreement as their existing assured tenancy.
What homes will you be providing?
The completed development will provide a total of 70 homes comprising a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes.
Who are the new homes for?
This is a completely affordable development, with homes available for affordable rent for local people and shared ownership.
The first ten homes to be delivered in Phase 1 will be for affordable rent and allocated to the ten residents with assured tenancies who are currently living on Sugar Hill Close and Wordsworth Drive.
We're also working closely with Leeds City Council to enable former tenants who did not have assured or regulated tenancies to be given, where possible, an opportunity to move into the newly-built affordable rented houses.
What is shared ownership?
Shared ownership is a part-buy, part-rent scheme which enables you to buy a share of a property, subject to affordability, whilst paying a subsidised rent on the remainder.
The more of the property you own, the less rent you pay, and you can buy more shares (also known as staircasing) up to 100%, as and when you can afford it. Learn more about the scheme by reading our guide.
Demolition
The hoardings around the site have been painted blue. Why?
We have painted the hoardings across the site our brand colour, which is common practice across construction sites. Timber hoardings are usually installed and then painted on-site as an additional measure to provide weather protection and durability.
Do the existing homes contain asbestos and if so, what measures are you taking to keep the community safe?
A demolition asbestos survey identified that the existing homes contain asbestos cement-based sheets in between the ground-floor ceiling and first-floor rooms. Asbestos in this form is unlikely to release high levels of fibres and is categorised as low risk.
As required, we have reported our findings to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and we have appointed Sirius a licenced asbestos removal contractor with over 30 years’ experience to oversee the pre-demolition work.
It will take approximately one day per home to safely remove the asbestos and the team will be taking precautionary measures such as dampening the sheets prior to removal, as well as wearing disposable suits and masks to carry out the work. Real-time air quality monitoring will also be carried out to confirm compliance with legislation such as Asbestos at Work Regulations 2012 and HSG248 Asbestos: The Analysts Guide.
When will demolition start?
As we are carrying out the development in phases, we will be demolishing the existing homes in two phases. Phase 1 of the demolition is now complete and based on our current construction programme, we anticipate phase 2 will begin in autumn 2024.
How are you demolishing the homes?
Due to the prefabricated ‘non-traditional’ construction of the existing homes, our contractor will systematically dismantle each house from the roof. This will enable us to recycle the materials and reduce waste across the development.
How long is it going to take to complete the development?
Around three years. We expect to complete and hand over the final homes in 2026.
My garden fence is along the boundary of the development. Will you be removing it as part of the build?
No. We will be installing any new fencing against the existing fencing to ensure we do not encroach on any boundaries. If you have any concerns or questions about the boundary at any time, please contact Termrim directly.
I was told at a resident meeting that I could drop-in to Termrim’s site compound to ask any questions if I have any. Where is it located on the scheme?
Termrim’s compound is located off Sugar Hill Close. Open this map for reference. Residents are welcome to stop by and ask the construction team any questions you may have. Alternatively, you can call the team on 01484 547525 or email sugarhill@termrim.co.uk.
How can I find out more about the construction schedule and what's in the pipeline?
There's a notice board next to Termrim's site compound, which sets out what is currently underway and what is in the pipeline. It's installed on the site's hoarding and is available for residents to see at any time.
Local area
What will happen to the bus stop and postbox on Oulton Drive?
Both the bus stop and postbox will still be in use. Neither will be impacted by the new development.
On the site plan, the boundaries cut across some side roads. Does this mean we won’t have access to these roads during the build?
The site plan is split into sections to show the phased approach we are taking to redevelop the estate. Throughout the build, access to the main road (Wakefield Road) and side roads will still be open.
If at any point we do need to temporarily close some of the side roads, we will contact any residents impacted by this short-term measure directly.
I’m worried that there’s only one way in and out of the estate, which gets extremely busy during peak times. How are you going to get large vehicles through safely?
As part of the planning approval, we have agreed on a traffic management plan with Leeds City Council and will be doing all we can to minimise disruption including reducing delivery hours, where possible, to be outside-of-school run times.
In addition, there is a requirement for double yellow lines to be added on the junction off Oulton Drive to help with access and alleviate congestion.
Is it going to be really noisy and dusty?
Our contractors will be doing all they can to minimise disruption and ensure we stay within relevant regulations. There will be a dust suppression system on site and when needed, road sweepers will also clean up around the development.
The work hours for this site are primarily 8am-6pm Monday to Friday. While we don’t anticipate working on site during the weekend, there may be an occasional Saturday where you will see our team working between 9am-1pm. Our team will not be working on-site on Sundays or during bank holidays.
Why have cameras been installed to monitor the development?
The cameras that are currently installed are capturing time-lapse footage of the site as work progresses. For safety and security measures, additional cameras will also be installed to monitor the site.