New strategy and delivery partner will deliver much-needed homes and facilities
City of York Council will consider creating a new strategy, and securing a new strategic delivery partner to deliver high quality Council buildings including homes for social rent or housing for older people.
This new Delivery Strategy has been developed to support the Council’s Housing Delivery Programme (HDP) of building homes for shared ownership and social rent. The Strategic Delivery Partner will have a multi-disciplinary team to organise and deliver other projects such as supported and extra care housing, private housing, commercial space, on land owned by the Council or its partners.
The Partner will help bring larger, complex sites owned by a number of different organisations towards redevelopment. This includes public sector-owned sites or significant brownfield regeneration schemes. By streamlining procurement procedures, delivery and management into a programme‑wide structure, consistent governance, performance management, and quality assurance will be consistent and rigorous across all projects.
Further to successful schemes at Lowfield Green, Duncombe Square and Burnholme Green, over 300 new homes which will be genuinely affordable to rent, buy and run will be delivered by the Partner. They will be built on Council-owned land at Ordnance Lane, Castle Mills, Willow House, Lowfield and the old Manor School site.
To accelerate these homes which will be genuinely affordable to rent, buy and run, it’s proposed to update the Council’s building design manual to reflect Homes England’s Healthy Homes Standard. This high-quality, industry standard builds to Energy performance certificate (EPC) A performance. High levels of insulation and solar PV panels reduce energy costs and lower long‑term maintenance and repair pressures.
The proposals state that a clear, long‑term pipeline of building should improve market confidence and attract contractors and supply chains. This will improve competition and value for money and deliver programme‑wide efficiencies and cost savings over time for the Council.
The Delivery Strategy also provides the opportunity to create a significant, long‑lasting social value legacy for York. A bespoke, city‑focussed long-term Social Value Plan will align with the Council’s priorities – including education and skills and economy. It will be funded by the Delivery Partner and extend beyond the construction period.
Cllr Michael Pavlovic, Executive Member for Housing at City of York Council, said: “This highly ambitious Delivery Strategy will bring certainty for the council and residents over the coming decade. It is essential for our planning, funding and building the high-quality affordable homes and facilities that residents need. It responds to funding conditions and pressures, while aligning with our existing commitments and aiming to accelerate and de-risk delivery.
“York Central shows us what effective partner working can make happen, and this progressive strategy will build on that.
“The move to build to Healthy Homes Standards is a pragmatic response to current market and financial conditions. It will allow us to maintain the pace and scale of building 100% genuinely affordable homes while maintaining high environmental performance. Its impact is expected to be significant, and will create a lasting legacy alongside the much-needed buildings it will deliver.”