York Council To Build 85 Zero-Carbon Homes
City of York Council’s Housing Delivery Programme has earned two awards and approval to build 85 new zero-carbon homes. Housing Industry Leaders looks at how the zero-carbon homes will benefit the people of York and help the UK reach its net zero goals.
The national Planning Awards 2022 named the City of York Council’s Housing Delivery Programme ‘Best Housing Scheme’ (Fewer than 500 homes), and highly commended it for the ‘Design Excellent Award’ too. The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Yorkshire awarded the programme ‘Excellence in Plan-Making’ and will forward the scheme to the national RTPI awards later this year.
Building Energy-Efficient Homes Is The Right Thing To Do
Executive Member for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods at City of York Council, Cllr Denise Craghill, said: “We know building well-designed affordable, energy-efficient homes is the right thing to do. These awards are a wonderful recognition of our ambitions to improve the quality and quantity of homes for York residents and reflect the skill, flair and care taken by the design team.”
I’m thrilled with the award for the inspiring team driving the Housing Delivery Programme and for the residents who’ll be able to live and thrive in these new, beautifully designed communities.
Alongside the awards, planning permission has now been granted to build 85 energy-efficient, zero-carbon homes at the Hospital Fields Road/Ordnance Lane site in Fishergate.
At present, 40% of the homes are earmarked for a mixture of social rent and shared ownership with grant funding now being implemented to increase this further.
The Homes Will Accommodate To People’s Needs
The judges for the RTPI Yorkshire award said: “City of York Council’s Housing Delivery Programme sets the bar incredibly high: a programme, underpinned by its Design Manual, has not only sustainable and environmental credentials but puts local residents and businesses front and centre.”
People with special needs, less affluent people, families and elderly people all can incredibly benefit from living at Burnholme, Duncombe and Ordnance Lane.
Working from home is becoming a more standard practice in many people’s lives, especially after the pandemic. To support home working and accessibility, the houses and apartments are designed to generous space standards.
Each of the homes will have private outdoor space and there will be two new public green spaces which aim to see community growing sitting alongside car-free routes that connect to the wider neighbourhood. In addition to outdoor space, the plans include indoor community spaces and workspaces.
Retrofitting Will See Building Turn Into Needed Community Space
To become more sustainable and to see the UK reach its net zero targets, it is essential that buildings are retrofitted. The Victorian ‘Married Quarters’ building will be kept and retrofitted to very high thermal comfort standards and will be converted into an innovative intergenerational apartment building with community space.
