NEW houses built on the York Central site could share an eco-friendly communal “district heating” system.

City of York Council is using a £50,000 grant to look into the feasibility of putting in such a system, which could serve both the homes and offices likely to be built on the 72 hectare site.

The project is part of a wider One Planet project being set up by council staff to try and help both the local authority and the rest of the city become more eco friendly and sustainable.

A paper due to be considered by executive member for the environment Cllr Andrew Waller sets out some of the ways the council is trying to reduce its carbon emissions.

If it goes ahead, the York Central heating project would see heat generated centrally from a low carbon source and pumped through insulated pipes into the buildings.

However, the report shows that other projects to try and generate solar power at some of the council’s larger buildings have fallen foul on changes in Government policy.

Changes to “feed-in” tariffs for renewable energy were made over the winter, meaning early plans the city council had been looking at were not longer financially viable, and had to be scrapped. It is still looking at smaller scale projects.

The papers also set out a new “carbon and resource smart management plan” which Cllr Waller is being asked to approve for the council to use as it tries to reduce its carbon emissions, and cut some of the £3 million costs it faces every year in utility bills on council offices and school buildings.

The One Planet report will be discussed at a public decision session at the council’s West Offices HQ next Monday, August 1.