Stonewater has completed its redevelopment of Cookridge House, creating 30 new homes in the heart of Cookridge itself.
The development is comprised entirely of affordable homes and sits adjacent to Ireland Woods, overlooking Horsforth.
Housing provider Stonewater worked with contractor Vistry Partnerships and other partners to transform the dilapidated Grade II listed building – a former hospital dating back to Victorian times – into 30 new homes.
The striking gothic building fell derelict after closing in 2007, when its facilities were transferred to St James’s Hospital in Leeds.
Now, Cookridge House is helping to alleviate the shortage of affordable housing in the Leeds area, with initial lettings made to those on the Leeds Homes register for people in housing need.
Work involved refurbishing the building, transforming it into 24 homes – five one-bedroom flats, five two-bedroom flats, five two-bedroom town houses and one four-bedroom town house – for social rent, plus eight two-bedroom town houses for shared ownership.
An additional six two-bedroom houses were built around the original building, available for shared ownership.
Each house benefits from its own private garden, allocated parking spaces, and access to a communal garden, all amid landscaped grounds.
The scheme also features public artwork reflecting the area and its history, including decorative metalwork by a Yorkshire artist and an information lectern telling the old hospital building’s story in words and pictures.
The scheme is contributing to the community’s green credentials with the installation of charging points for electrical cars.
Stonewater and its partners worked with the community to create opportunities for local people, while breathing new life into the iconic landmark building.
This included employing local apprentices and trainees to work on the scheme, gaining valuable skills and experience on a complex, challenging but interesting and rewarding project.
Two of the apprentices who worked on Cookridge House have been retained by Vistry to work on other new developments.
‘Supporting the community’
Chris Montague, director of Development (North and East) at Stonewater, said: “We recognise the acute need for affordable homes in Yorkshire, and Cookridge House is the first scheme Stonewater has delivered in the north, utilising £1.23m funding from its strategic partnership with Homes England.
“Cookridge House is part of a thriving community created by the wider development of the old hospital site, which includes family housing, special needs education, retirement living, and elderly care accommodation.
“Having worked closely with Leeds City Council to ensure the development was carried out sympathetically and sensitively to make the most of the building’s architectural features.
“We’re proud to have delivered these modern, comfortable homes to people who need them most, whilst also boosting the local economy, helping with the area’s social and financial recovery as we emerge from the Coronavirus pandemic.”
Andrew Poyner, managing director at Vistry Partnerships (Yorkshire), said: “We are proud to have been able to bring such a landmark building back to life and provide quality, affordable homes.
“It has been a pleasure working with Stonewater throughout the planning and construction, and we look forward to building many more homes together in Leeds and across the wider region.”
Barry Cummins, national development director at Homes England, said: “We are delighted with the completion of this scheme as it will bring 30 much-needed affordable homes to the local community, set in the beautiful grounds of a Grade II listed building.
“Our work in Leeds is part of a broader effort to unlock housing growth opportunities in this city region, including focusing on those that bring historic assets back to life such as Cookridge Hospital.”
Councillor Debra Coupar, Leeds City Council’s executive board member for Communities, said: “I am delighted to see the completion of Cookridge House, not only for what it means to housing in Leeds, but the fact that it is building on and supporting the fantastic community that already exists there.
“As a council, we know all too well the shortage of affordable housing across the country. It’s a huge problem, and it’s one that we are always trying to solve locally.
“By working in partnership with Stonewater, we have been able to realise yet another development of affordable homes in the city.
“It’s developments like these that are so crucial for helping people to get a foot on the housing ladder and start building a home.”
Image: Cookridge House. Credit: Stonewater
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