Leading energy, services and regeneration specialist ENGIE will shortly begin work on a £34m energy-efficient housing development in Rastrick, West Yorkshire, after completing contracts with Yorkshire Housing.
ENGIE and Yorkshire Housing worked in partnership to identify the 26 acre site — which is just off Delf Hill and Dewsbury Road — when it initially came to the market in 2018 via land agent Savills. Planning approval was granted by Calderdale Council in January of this year and all parties have now finalised the technical and pre-planning agreements.
With contracts now completed, ENGIE is expected to begin work on the 267 home scheme this month and the projected build will last four and a half years.
Yorkshire Housing has received a grant from the Government’s housing agency — Homes England, in support of the development — which will create two, three and four bedroom houses of varying tenure; including 111 for shared ownership, 76 for open market sale, 46 for rent to buy and 34 for affordable rent.
The new homes will be kitted out with high efficiency boilers, enhanced levels of insulation, and time and temperature heating zone controls. All properties will also have the provision for electric vehicle charging points, with several plots also benefitting from photovoltaic solar panels. Overall, the new homes will exceed the carbon reduction requirements of Building Regulations by a minimum of 10%.
David Parkes, Managing Director at ENGIE, said: “We have been involved with this landmark development from day one, which has allowed us to be part of discussions with key stakeholders to ensure we meet Calderdale Council’s ambition of providing high quality new homes that offer a wide range of options for local people.
“Our strong 12 year partnership with Yorkshire Housing has seen us innovate and evolve our service offering, ensuring these new homes will be built with our ambitions for a zero carbon future in mind. We look forward to beginning work on site and help turn what is an exciting vision into reality.”
Cllr Scott Patient, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Resilience, commented: “We are excited to be supporting Yorkshire Housing’s development with ENGIE in Rastrick. It will bring much-needed homes to local families. As we continue to fight against climate change, we’re really impressed with the scheme’s range of sustainable features to protect the environment.”
Sian Grindley, Head of Development at Yorkshire Housing, said: “The Rastrick development is a landmark project for Yorkshire Housing as it will provide homes that are more energy efficient, sustainable and affordable to live in. Working with Homes England, ENGIE and Calderdale Council, we look forward to delivering much needed homes for the local community.
“We are committed to our strategic priority of delivering 8,000 new homes by 2030. We want to continue providing homes and communities where our customers are proud to live and call home.”
The project will also include bio-diversity enhancements in the form of new tree planting, wildflower meadows, generous areas of public open space and the reinstatement of acid grassland, a rare upland habitat which is rapidly disappearing in the region.
Savills acted as land agent on the site. The architect for the development is MHA Architects.
