Climate Minister Visits South Yorkshire
14 January 2026
Housing associations play a vital role in building sustainable communities. The Great Places and South Yorkshire Housing Association homes I visited are leading examples.
Minister for Climate Katie White OBE MP visited new and retrofitted eco homes in South Yorkshire to learn more about the role housing associations play in improving sustainability and delivering on the region’s ambition to be net zero economy by 2040.
Her visit was hosted in collaboration with South Yorkshire Housing Association (SYHA), South Yorkshire Housing Partnership (SYHP), Great Places Housing Group and PlaceShapers.
The new homes in Waverley just outside Rotherham, are owned and managed by SYHA, which is now part of the Places for People Group. The homes are on a 740-hectare site, which was home to the former Orgreave Colliery and Coking Plant and is now the largest brownfield regeneration scheme in South Yorkshire.
The homes are fully electric with air source heat pumps, solar panels and electrical vehicle charging. Alongside these strong environmental credentials, the development forms part of a newly created neighbourhood just two minutes from the M1 with a primary school, new high street, medical centre, pocket parks and green spaces. Two lakes and more than 300 acres of parkland, with carefully planted shrubs and trees, will attract wildlife and boost mental and physical well-being.
The retro-fitted homes are part of the Richmond Park Heat Network, a neighbourhood of 460 homes owned and managed by Great Places Housing Group which showed the Minister how housing associations are scaling up retrofit programmes to decarbonise existing homes to make them warmer and more affordable to live in.
Minister for Climate, Katie White, said: "Housing associations play a vital role in building sustainable communities. The Great Places and South Yorkshire Housing Association homes I visited are leading examples.
"The South Yorkshire Housing Association eco homes, fitted with air source heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points, showcase how local innovation and collaboration can lower bills for families and deliver warmer homes, all while helping tackle the climate crisis."
SYHP Chair and CEO of SYHA Larry Gold, said: “The South Yorkshire Housing Partnership is committed to creating a greener South Yorkshire. Our approach means we can improve and build homes that work for our communities, as well as supporting local and national climate goals. This new development at Waverley shows how modern, affordable housing can combine energy efficiency, lower running costs, and brilliant places to live.”
The visit followed a roundtable with South Yorkshire business and environmental leaders to showcase the importance and impact of inclusive climate and nature action and engagement, demonstrate UK Government support for community-led climate initiatives, and explore how place-based initiatives can bring significant wider benefits to local places.
Steve Mather, Chief Property Officer at Great Places and SYHP Low Carbon workstream lead, shared how local housing providers are working together through SYHP to support South Yorkshire’s bold and ambitious plans to become a net zero economy by 2040. He said: “Partnership working is essential if we are to create truly sustainable communities across South Yorkshire. We’re proud to work with other housing associations through the South Yorkshire Housing Partnership, unlocking more investment and delivering on a greater scale to help South Yorkshire become a more sustainable place to live. Today’s visit highlights the impact we can make when we work together, creating lasting benefits for our residents and communities across the region.”
Matthew Walker, PlaceShapers Chair, and Chief Executive of Leeds Federated Housing Association, said: “Housing associations across the country are investing in areas with high fuel poverty, tailoring retrofit to local housing and geography, and aligning environmental action with resident well-being. At PlaceShapers, we see housing associations going beyond their role as a social landlord driven by their deep commitment to the communities they serve. They are working with their communities and partners to support green jobs, nature-based projects, public realm improvements, and neighbourhood-wide climate action.”
Notes
About South Yorkshire Housing Partnership
SYHA is made up of 14 housing associations with 300,000 homes in the region. It works with 4 local authorities, Homes England and South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. By working together with local partners, they ensure housing associations have a strong, united voice and are focussing on three key priorities: new affordable homes, low carbon future, and healthy homes and homelessness.
About South Yorkshire Housing Association
SYHA's vision is for their customers to ‘settle at home, live well and realise their potential’. SYHA’s first Chief Executive, John Belcher, founded the organisation in 1972 after watching Ken Loach’s Cathy Come Home. Since then, SYHA has been providing high quality homes and services, delivering great social impact, and creating meaningful partnerships across the South Yorkshire region. SYHA has over 5,700 homes and a strong reputation, with Tenant Satisfaction Measures benchmarking in the upper quartile. Over 98% of new tenants would recommend SYHA to a friend or family member. SYHA’s LiveWell directorate successfully provides 30 care, health and support contracts to approximately 7,000 customers each year. SYHA became part of the Places for People Group in December 2025.
About Great Places Housing Group
Social purpose is at the heart of Great Places Housing Group. A not-for-profit organisation, Great Places owns over 26,000 affordable homes in more than 30 local authority areas across the North West and South Yorkshire. In 2024/25 Great Places delivered 726 new affordable homes and sold 196 homes for shared ownership. It invested over £230 million into building new homes as well as running a wide range of projects and initiatives to help our customers and their communities (www.greatplaces.org.uk ). It currently has over 2,300 homes on site.