A council housing boss accused of "changing his tune" over the authority’s Passivhaus building development programme says the scheme is now more cost effective.

Councillor Michael Pavlovic attended the council’s first Passivhaus site of social housing in Burton Stone Lane in Clifton on Thursday, November 2.

He told the media he wanted the homes in the council’s Local Plan for housing to include Passivhaus technology to "future-proof the properties but also support the environment, our climate aspirations and the world’s climate aspirations".

The city’s Liberal Democrats claim that at a 2022 Executive meeting, when in opposition, that Cllr Pavlovic accused the then Lib-Dem / Green coalition authority of "basking in design awards whilst incidentally refusing to give the details of how much more it has cost to build a few Passivhauses".

Cllr Pavlovic responded by saying housing officers at the council had identified the delivery of required standards in a more cost-effective way, meaning more is now achievable than before.

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Cllr Darryl Smalley, York Liberal Democrat spokesperson for housing, said: “It’s great to see Councillor Pavlovic change his tune on Passivhaus developments and the council’s housing delivery programme that was developed under the Liberal Democrat-led administration.

“Just a few short months ago Councillor Pavlovic was railing against building homes above the national building regulation standards.

“Liberal Democrats have always been clear that if we are to meet our climate change goals and deliver sustainable homes that will cut fuel bills for families - then the council has an important role in building homes to Passivhaus standards, encouraging developers to raise their game.”

Passivhaus builds are designed and certified to standards which exceed current housing regulations and can cut heating bills through ‘super-insulation’ and recycling of heat generated in the home.

Passivhaus Trust figures indicated that the cost of building a Passivhaus is up to four per cent higher than building an equivalent sized house to existing building regulations.

The site, on the former Duncombe barracks, was designed by architects Mikhail Riches, who won prestigious awards for social housing design to Passivhaus certification in Norwich.

Cllr Pavolvic said: “Existing housing developments are already being developed to Passivhaus standards at Burnholme and Duncombe Barracks and we intend to increase the Ordnance Lane site to both 100 per cent affordable from its previous Lib Dem plan of 50 per cent, and to Passivhaus standard too. 

“This is in line with the Labour administration’s new council plan commitments. 

“We are hopeful with the establishing of a Mayoral Combined Authority for York and North Yorkshire to attract more devolved funding that will help bring about a real step change in the delivery of desperately needed energy efficient homes, including both new homes and the retrofitting of older homes.”