York City Council work with residents to tackle fuel poverty and climate change through Housing Delivery Programme has won a national award for planning excellence.

Housing Delivery Programme win top planning excellence award

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) awarded its Silver Jubilee Cup to our Housing Delivery Programme yesterday (30 November). The programme involved residents at the very start of the planning process with Stirling Prize-winning architects Mikhail Riches.

It was applauded by the RTPI as “the most outstanding of all the winning projects. The scheme demonstrates how the UN Sustainable Development Goals can be achieved in practice to create mixed and inclusive communities that promote well-being and healthy lifestyles.”

Earlier in the year, the Housing Delivery Programme was submitted by Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design, who provided planning advice and support throughout the programme. The programme won the Yorkshire regional award for Best Plan. It was then automatically entered into the national competition to compete against all other regional winners.

The plans include 112 Passivhaus homes at Duncombe Barracks and Burnholme which will be 60% affordable, and at the 83 Passivhaus homes at Ordnance Lane. As well as actively tackling the climate crisis, the developments incorporate intergenerational and multigenerational homes in order to promote social inclusion to reduce isolation and loneliness.

Work has begun at the Clifton site, it’s just started on the Heworth development and will begin next year at Fishergate.  

Victoria Hills, RTPI Chief Executive, said: “It was fantastic to see York’s innovative Housing Delivery Programme win this year’s Jubilee Cup.

“By creating a strong local plan, the City of York Council is not only improving the lives of future generations within the area, but is addressing the current, real-life challenges faced by communities today.”

Lizzie le Mare, Director at Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design, said: “We are incredibly proud to have been part of this project that will deliver exceptional quality housing based on sustainable and healthy principles, and which help meet the housing needs in York.”

Cllr Denise Craghill, Executive Member for Housing at City of York Council, said: “Planning our Housing Delivery Programme started and ends with residents. We involved local people at the very earliest stages to understand what mattered to them about new housing in their area. Their vision is helping ensure that the generations of residents who will live in these homes will benefit from their sustainability, affordability, space and build quality.

“It’s right to congratulate absolutely everyone involved in this collaboration. I’m so looking forward to watching the programme’s progress and the impact of these homes on their residents.”