City estate will be 'transformed'

A housing estate in east Leeds will be transformed by contractors in a multi-million pound redevelopment, councillors have promised.

Yorkshire Transformations Ltd has been awarded the contract to rebuild the Swarcliffe estate.

The project, financed under the private finance initiative (PFI), will mean improvements and maintenance for 1,650 homes over the next 30 years.

Leeds City Council said re-building work was expected to start in July.

Councillor Les Carter, in charge of housing, said: "This scheme will do so much more than breathe new life into the estate - it will totally transform the area."

As well as improvements to existing council properties, new homes are to be built on the estate.

The local community was involved in developing the blueprint for the area's redevelopment, the council said.