Bramham House site brand

Introduction

Following the community consultation event in March 2023, this accompanying website has been updated with further information on the redevelopment proposals for the Bramham House site. Comments received from the consultation were taken into consideration during the design of the revised proposals in the subsequent months, as highlighted on this page.

The revised and updated plans would deliver 56 new dwellings with a range of family homes, First Homes and properties aimed at the Over 55's market. Please see the Proposal page for further detail on the scheme.

We are now pleased to confirm that a planning application is being prepared for submission in the coming weeks to Leeds City Council. We would still welcome your comment on the revised proposals and have included a feedback form which can be accessed on the Have Your Say page.

The project is supported by Simpson as development partner and includes Vincent & Partners as architect and lead consultant and re-form landscape architects.

Simpson, Vincent & Partners and Re-form landscape architecture

Feedback from our community consultation has helped inform the updated plans. Key themes included:

Feedback from the community consultation Revised proposals include
First Homes were popular with respondents, with over three quarters (77%) welcoming these homes for first time buyers. A mix of 2 & 3 bedroom houses designed for first time buyers under the First Homes scheme
The majority of respondents welcomed new family housing  A range of family homes including 2, 3 & 4 bedroom properties
70% of respondents were in favour of Over 55's apartments Apartments aimed at the Over 55's market will be based across three buildings to reduce the impact on the wider site with  a new public space at the centre of the site
The impact of traffic along Freely Lane was a key subject with some in favour of widening Freely Lane and others wanting it to remain a smaller road An extended passing place has been added to Freely Lane to improve access, maintaining a rural feel to Freely Lane and striking a balance between the comments received on the issue
Support for tree retention and planting Increased tree retention and extensive planting is incorporated within our detailed landscaping proposals
The intention to provide on-site footpaths with safe access to nearby amenities and greenspace was welcomed The proposals will increase connectivity through Bramham with publicly accessible pedestrian routes through the site from Bowcliffe Road to Freely Lane. There will also be opportunities to dwell and enjoy the site
Retention of part of the original house would be welcomed While the majority of the building has deteriorated beyond repair, the facade of the original house is to be re-built and incorporated into the facade of one of the new apartment blocks
   
3D visual of proposed family homes

Site

The site is located to the south of Bramham village, adjacent to the A1 and Bowcliffe Road and accessed primarily from Freely Lane. To the east of the site sits a large public space and play park, with a community pavilion for Bramham Village located to the south.

Bramham House was built in 1806 by local vicar Robert Bownas. Historical maps show the formality of the approach and landscaped setting within a variety of routes through the site. The site was sold to the City Council after the second world war and became a children’s home. The site has been derelict for over 30 years with buildings in a state of decay and disrepair. The grounds are included in the Conservation Area Appraisal as important to the village’s character, with views of mature trees and vegetation from around the site and village.

Previous planning consent

Existing planning approval was granted in February 2020 for a care-led scheme by another developer which included a care home, close-care homes and apartments and 10 detached homes. The scheme would involve demolishing Bramham House whilst retaining the building’s façade to create the care home.

A fresh review has taken place on the proposals to improve the overall scheme, to ensure the housing mix and design is bespoke and sympathetic to the site and its surroundings.

We are excited about the new proposals and believe they will deliver a first-class development which responds to the local housing need.

location plan
Photograph of Bramham House from hill
Photograph of Bramham House
Photograph of Bramham House approach

Proposal

The illustrative masterplan image on this page provides further detail on each area of the site with family homes, First Homes & apartment blocks. Click on each area for more detail.

As an overview, the scheme now includes:

  • More family & First Homes sensitively located around the retained trees
  • More trees retained and additional new trees planted
  • Apartments aimed at the Over 55’s are distributed across three buildings to reduce the impact on site
  • A new public space is proposed at the centre of the site, along with a range of other landscaped public areas
  • A publicly accessible pedestrian route across the site from Bowcliffe Road to Freely Lane is proposed
  • An extended passing place is proposed to Freely Lane, with a new footpath along the edge of the playing fields, improving access and safety for the community

Sustainability

A sustainable, low-carbon approach to the masterplan and building design has been an important consideration and a number of sustainable design strategies and technologies have been employed. The development will seek to improve upon current building regulations (Specifically Approved Document Part L 2021), taking a fabric-first approach to the design of the dwellings and aiming for an EPC A rating for each property.

Measures incorporated into the scheme include:

  • Sustainable Urban Drainage systems and extensive planting, incorporating ‘green’ and ‘blue’ infrastructure on the site
  • Enlarged car-parking standards & infrastructure to allow for 100% EV charging points across the site
  • Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) for each dwelling, with centralised systems for each apartment block
  • Highly insulated building fabric, increasing the efficiency of heating systems while reducing the heating load for each property
  • Photovoltaic installations and potential battery storage that combined with ASHP will reduce the running costs
  • Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) for each dwelling
  • Low-flush WC cisterns
  • High-performance glazing systems to all windows
Proposed masterplan First Homes Family Homes Apartments Extended Freely Lane Passing Place Pedestrian connection to community fields on Freely Lane Natural play space Pedestrian connection to Bowcliffe Road Bramham House Square Retained woodland Retained woodland Birch Grove and Residents Garden

Next steps

A new planning application for the revised proposals on this site will be submitted in the coming weeks. Once the application has been validated by Leeds City Council, it will conduct its own formal consultation and accept public comments on the plans. A decision on the proposals is anticipated in the coming months.

Timescales for construction will be addressed following if a decision in favour of the development is received.

In the meantime, we would still welcome any comments on the proposals, and a feedback form can be found on the Have Your Say page.

Visualisations of proposed Over 55's apartments

3D visual of proposed over 55’s apartments

Have your say

We would still welcome your feedback on the amended plans. Please complete our survey below to have your say on our plans for new homes at Bramham House. All feedback will be considered as part of the planning process.

Having problems viewing the form? Click here                                                                                  

Contact

If you have any questions about the proposals for Bramham House please contact us in the following ways:

or

0800 089 0362

3D visual of proposed starter homes

Visualisation of proposed First Homes