Residents call for action over 'eyesore' estate

Residents living next to Kingsdale Court in Seacroft have described it as an "eyesore"

Residents living near an "eyesore" estate in Leeds have called for action over its future.

Kingsdale Court in Seacroft lies derelict, but Leeds City Council is unable to press ahead with plans for regeneration until the last of the 88 flats there is purchased.

The authority said "active and positive progress" was being made to buy the final flat - and refused to rule out a compulsory purchase order.

The BBC visited the estate to speak to those people affected by the protracted process to try and improve the area.

Mum-of-two Katey Walwyn's home is overlooked by the flats, which were built in the 1960s and 1970s.

Ms Walwyn, 36, said they have been "run down" since she moved to the Boggart Hill area of Seacroft in 2010.

The sight of boarded-up windows and graffitied walls paints a dreary picture of life at Kingsdale Court and local councillor for the area, David Jenkins, admitted conditions "were awful for many people" previously living there.

Ms Walwyn, a debt charity worker who lives with her son, 18, and daughter, six, said good-quality housing was "desperately needed".

"I'm in a two-bedroom house with two kids and no option of moving any time soon."

A council spokesperson said it was "determined to do everything it can to tackle inequality and boost housing standards throughout Leeds".

“As part of this work, we have identified Boggart Hill in Seacroft as one of a number of priority neighbourhoods where regeneration investment and resources will help reduce deprivation and build stronger, more cohesive communities."

Ms Walwyn says good quality housing is "desperately needed"

According to the council spokesperson, Kingsdale Court "has endured long-standing issues of crime and anti-social behaviour".

"When we first moved in people still lived in them and it was really rowdy," said 28-year-old Keelie, a mum of three young children who has lived opposite the estate since 2019.

Keelie said having to live across from the flats, some of which have been boarded up for several years, had made her want to move house.

"They are probably the reason why the area has got a bit of a bad name," she added.

Paula Waddington, who has lived near the Kingsdale Court flats for 17 years, said she would be "not at all" sad to see them go in their current state.

The 45 year old was one of several people to describe them as an "eyesore".

What would she instead like to see when she walks past?

"Something for the kids, there's only one park down the bottom [Rein Park] and there are not really lights there.

"Kids have got to stay in the cul-de-sac or in the street."

Ms Waddington says the flats are an "eyesore"

There were no good words for the flats among any residents the BBC spoke to, with one, 31-year-old Hannah, labelling Kingsdale Court "an awful sight".

"Anything would be better than looking at them," she said overlooking the estate's steel-covered windows.

"They just need to get them down."

The process of buying up properties at Kingsdale Court began in 2021, but Jenkins said tracking the owners had been "a nightmare" due to the "complex" ownership arrangements.

He cast doubt about whether they could be retrofitted.

"I would probably suspect it will be demolished and with any luck the council will rebuild on the land."

The council spokesperson said "a number of options" were being considered for the long-term future of the land "and the reprovision of high-quality affordable homes" on the basis they eventually take ownership of the site.

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