Kirkstall Valley Development Trust, a Leeds-based community interest company, is hoping to develop a community hub and social housing for the over-55s in an old mill property.
It wants to recruit an interested group of local residents to guide the development of the Abbey Mills site, a council-owned property in Kirkstall, a suburb in northwest Leeds.
Ideally, applicants to head up the community-led project will be interested in living at the site themselves.
The trust said: “This is the starting point. Local councillors are supportive and the council are listening,” adding: “We want to minimise car use and bring together a group of people that will create a real community on the site.”
The organisation, which is owned and run by its members, set up in 2016 to develop a learning and leisure park over 200 acres of inner Leeds. It has partnered with Leeds City Council, University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University and the Centre for Alternative Technology on ventures such as environmental education, sustainable energy projects, parkland and wildlife areas, and improved access in the shape of cycling and walkways.
Social housing provider Accent is supporting the trust on the Abbey Mills project and a bid is being submitted to Homes England for feasibility money to design the scheme.
A launch meeting of interested residents will be held at 7.30pm on Thursday 17 January at Kirkstall Leisure Centre Those unable to attend can register their interest in the scheme by emailing [email protected].
