Holbeck Tower Blocks - Leeds

With the five tower blocks due to be demolished in June 2010, I managed to grab an hour for a quick visit. The blocks have been empty for a few months now, and are attracting quite a few anti-social types, so it was a quick in and out on a freezing February morning.
I had access to one tower block, and most of the flats I could access were very water damaged due to multiple fires on higher floors, so most of the internal shots are from one less damaged but still crappy apartment.
This is my first site report, hope it's ok.

state of the art when they were built in the slum clearance days of the 60s. I think they were named after famous local politicians.

they look like something from Eastern europe now.

thanks for posting. know the area well and still visit regularly (Elland Road) .

"Streets In the Sky"

]It rather grates me that councils see fit to demolish these tower blocks, they are sustainable and when done up very secure and very rentable. We have 5 similiar towers here in blackpool, we have spent money doing them up and slowly they are becoming very desirable.

After all we have used up most of the green belt land, thats why these streets in the Sky are a good and economic way of housing people in social housing. Love the pics especially the lift shaft, thats scarey lol, thanks a lot.

yeah i definitely agree that these building could be used as social housing again after all arent there many thousands of homeless people etc etc!nice pics by the way especially the bright orange bathroom(not).

Structurally they'll be sound, they could be striped and refurbished. However you don't get tax breaks on refurbishments...

Any idea what will be built on the site after they are gone?

Apparently the plan is for low cost housing, but I agree it seems a shame to remove so much housing stock. Even more bizzare is the demolition of rows of terraced housing in the same area. Again, these were good solid buildings, but the bulldozers have moved in. I visited these terraced streets at the same time as the blocks and will try get some photos up shortly.

There is a big factor in providing affordable housing that many people forget or tend overlook. For property to be truly affordable you must look at the day to day running costs and lifetime maintenance costs, not just the rent or initial price if owner occupied. If one takes all these financial considerations into account and some of the more important social considerations also - many people do not like living in tower blocks these days - demolition and replacing with property more in keeping with the demands of the intended future tenants is a far better financial solution.

By choice I live in a small listed property, nothing particularly special or unique, but for the privelege of living in a weaver's cottage I pay a premium on my energy bills and maintenance costs. It is a sad fact of life that the older the property the less energy efficient it becomes and no amount of money or insulation will alter this fact, Councils and Housing Associations have to do a careful balancing act and invariable they will always get up some one's nose. I certainly do not want to see my Council Tax start increasing because the Council are chucking good money at buildings that are well past their sell by date!

Dirus_Strictus said:

also - many people do not like living in tower blocks these days - demolition and replacing with property more in keeping with the demands of the intended future tenants is a far better financial solution.

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I'd disagree. Move into Leeds centre and you'll see former office tower blocks that have been converted into flats (I worked on a few) and plenty of new high rise builds. Striping back tower blocks to their frames and starting again is sound way of redeveloping and recycling current building stock, especially when it's tax payers money been spent.

Is the demolition and disposal costs of removing these towers a good use of council tax money. I'd say not.