Plans for eco-friendly houses will be explored for a Newsome site.
Kirklees Council will explore the feasibility of putting a condition of sale on land at Plane Street that it must comply with unique green measures.
The site is one that Cabinet agreed to sell earlier this week in its £12m asset disposal plan for surplus land and buildings.
It was the former site of Stile Common Infants School, which was closed and demolished following the creation of Hillside Primary School at Newsome.
Clr Andrew Cooper, Newsome Green, secured agreement that the council would look at the passive house scheme.
It could mean only passive houses can be built on the site of the former Stile Common Infant School, and Clr Cooper says there is interest in the idea.
The term passive house (Passivhaus in German) refers to a rigorous, standard for energy efficiency in a building, reducing its ecological footprint. It results in ultra-low energy buildings that require little energy for space heating or cooling.
Clr Cooper said the site could accommodate 24 houses and explained: “The council wants to sell it for development.
“What we are suggesting is that if they are going to then a condition of sale will be that it’s built to passive house standards.
“What that means is that instead of having an average fuel bill of £1,264 a year, the average fuel bill will be less than £100 a year. In fact, there are people coming out with profit.”
Clr Cooper said a local firm was interested in building passive houses in Huddersfield.
A passive house complies with energy-efficient standards, designed with super-insulation, low leakage of heat and its likened to a teacosy.
Based on basic estimates, the fuel bill cut on a typical household will see all residents save a combined £30,000 on fuel bills.
Clr David Sheard, council leader, agreed that officers will explore the feasibility of the condition, adding: “It’s something we’ll look at, it could create jobs in Huddersfield in doing this.”
There is already one passive house in Huddersfield, that of Geoff and Kate Tunstall of Denby Dale who previously told the Examiner their annual heating bill was just £75 a year.
