Affordable and sustainable housing transforms the former site of a car dealership

Points Cross - Engineering, Energy, and Sustainability Services

For the largest development in their 130-year history, The Guinness Partnership wanted Points Cross to provide a unique sense of place for those who will live and work in the neighbourhood, with a public realm to connect to Leeds city centre. Funded by the government’s Brownfield Housing Fund, Points Cross reinforces Guinness’ commitment to prioritise the regeneration of brownfield sites—transforming a former car dealership on Hunslet Road into a vibrant new community.

We were involved with the project from the start, having supported the original developer, X1, in securing planning permissions. Our multidisciplinary engineering, energy, and sustainability team then delivered the design of the first phase before becoming the technical advisor to Guinness for the next.

Our services included ground investigation studies, geotechnical design advice, transport assessments, travel planning, and a flood risk assessment. We also provided engineering design and utilities analyses and conducted studies of acoustics, air quality, wind and microclimate, and daylight and sunlight.

Now completed, Points Cross contains five distinct buildings ranging from 6 to 20 storeys, linked by a raised publicly accessible podium. With its emphasis on public realm, green space, and safe connectivity to the city centre for the community, the scheme included electrical vehicle charging infrastructure, drop-off points for car sharing, and spaces for a car club. It also has a new bus stop and dedicated bus lane, which promotes sustainable travel. Additionally, the first phase of the development delivered 318 new homes, with shared ownership options ranging from 40 to 75 percent.