Housing Delivery Programme
Delivering much needed homes
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Awarded2022
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CategoryMaking towns work for everyone
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AwardedSilver Jubilee Cup Winner
Proof of concept
Creating inclusive communities
This programme received the RTPI’s prestigious Silver Jubilee award. It was received for The City of York’s Housing Delivery Programme which is responding to local housing need within the context of the climate crisis. The aim is to create mixed and inclusive communities that promote well-being and healthy lifestyles.
- The second phase of the programme will deliver 202 homes across 3 sites.
- There will a minimum of 40% affordable homes on all sites
- City of York Council are committed to delivering minimum 20% of all homes across the programme as social rent
- 136 homes will be accessible and adaptable and a further 31 will be adaptable or accessible for wheelchair users.
Key facts
Some key highlights
- • Renewable sources will generate enough energy to heat, light and power the houses, including mechanical heat recovery systems that supply fresh, filtered air.
- • Car-free streets with focus on walking and cycling will promote healthier, low-carbon lifestyles
- • The 600-house programme aims to tackle climate crisis, fuel poverty and social isolation
- • York will be the first local authority in the UK to achieve Passivhaus zero-carbon housing at scale.
- • Green corridors dotted with trees and raised planters will run between rows of terraced housing and around developments, providing child-friendly spaces to play, sit together and grow food. Each house will have a bike shed with electric charging points and use of shared e-cargo bikes.
Providing much needed homes
How/why will the programme benefit the public?
York is surrounded by greenbelt and the historic centre has limited spare land. In a city where housing has become increasingly unaffordable this programme looks to deliver high quality much needed homes.
Shared landscaped spaces will provide safe places for children and families, and one of the sites features an intergenerational living scheme which aims to combat isolation and loneliness by bringing people of different ages together.
Homes have been designed to Certified Passivhaus standards, meaning very low running costs, something that’s especially important in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Additionally, the developments are designed to encourage active travel and prioritise people over cars, with a clear focus on physical and psychological wellbeing.
What were local planners looking to achieve on the programme?
- To delivering much needed affordable housing
- To create healthy homes and neighbourhoods
- To create distinctive and beautiful places to bring communities together
- To reduce environmental impact and energy bills
- To support sustainable transport choices
Justifying the need
How were local planners essential to the programme's success?
The programme has been guided by the City of York’s Design Manual which established the design brief while taking into account best practice, policy and guidance at a local and national level. The document was designed as a benchmark for designers and planners, to help ensure its success.
Local planners worked collaboratively with the delivery team which has been led by architects Mikhail Riches, with Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design as town planning advisor and agent for all the planning applications. This governance approach has all been overseen by a very hands-on and ambitious Housing Strategy Team at City of York Council.
Thanks in part to an extensive pre-application process which set out to include local people in the design process from the outset, sites at Duncombe and Burnholme were granted planning permission in April and October 2021 respectively.
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