Decision details

1)    To seek approval in accordance with the Council’s Financial Regulations for an addition to the capital budget for the Green Homes project of £64,800, which is fully Grant funded, resulting in a revised project total of £784,800.

2)    To seek approval of the Council’s intended approach to delivering the grant, ‘the Gedling Green Homes Scheme’ at Appendix A.

3)    To seek delegated authority for the Head of Environment to submit a scheme proposal for approval to the Midlands Energy Hub (MEH) setting out how the Council will deliver the grant as set out in this report.

4)    To seek delegated authority for the Head of Environment, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Public Protection, to make changes to the scheme proposal and ‘the Gedling Green Homes Scheme’ based on MEH feedback.

THAT the Leader of the Council:

1)    Approves by virement the establishment of an addition to the Green Home Grant capital programme budget of £64,800, which is fully grant funded from the Midlands Energy Hub.

2)    Approves the ’Approach to delivering the Gedling Green Homes Scheme’ detailed at Appendix A to this report which sets out how the Council will administrate the Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery (Phase 2).

3)    Delegates authority to the Head of Environment to submit a full proposal to Midlands Energy Hub (MEH) for approval detailing how the Council will administer the grant funding as set out in this report.

4)    Delegates authority to the Head of Environment, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Public Protection, to make changes to the proposed scheme and ’Approach to delivering the Gedling Green Homes Scheme’ if required following MEH feedback.

The project aims to contribute towards the following outcomes:

Ø  Tackle fuel poverty by reducing energy bills for low-income households by improving the energy efficiency of their home.

o   Corporate priority, ‘promoting strong, resilient communities and reduce hardship and inequality’.

Ø  Deliver cost effective carbon savings to carbon budgets and progress towards the UK’s target for net zero by 2050.

o   Corporate priority, ‘to promote a sustainable environment.’

Ø  The phasing out of the installation of high-carbon fossil fuel heating and reducing emissions and improving air quality.

o   Corporate priority, ‘to promote a sustainable environment.’

Ø  Support economic resilience and a green recovery in response to the economic impacts of Covid-19, creating thousands of jobs nationwide.

o   Corporate priority, ‘to promote and drive sustainable growth across the borough to meet current and future needs’

Ø  Utilise the role of Local Energy Hubs to build Local Authority capacity and supply chains to deliver energy efficiency at scale.

o   Corporate priority, to be a high performing, efficient and effective council

To not adopt a scheme for delivery. This has been disregarded as it would be a missed opportunity to contribute to number of corporate priorities which deliver benefits to the community. The scheme aims to support households in fuel poverty, contribute to reducing carbon emissions and create green jobs.

To target the scheme to an alternative area of the borough. The Netherfield ward has the highest concentration of eligible households and eligible properties. The existing selective licensing scheme and dedicated localities co-ordinator and steering group can increase resident and landlord engagement. Other areas were considered to have a less of a chance of successful delivery in the very short project timescales set by the funders. It is therefore proposed that in the first instance the scheme is applied in the Netherfield ward. If however take up is not sufficient or the Council is awarded additional funding from the D2/N2 allocation, the scheme will be extended to the Kilisick, Newstead Village and Colwick ward where available data suggests there may be eligible households of properties which could benefit from the funding. This targeted phased approach is consistent with the MEH guidance to local authorities and would increase the chance of successful delivery and likelihood of attracting further funding for more households in the borough in the future.

To introduce a borough wide scheme. The option was discounted because there is insufficient funding to deliver a scheme in this way as contractors are likely to require a local compound and will offer economies of scale when installing measures in the same vicinity and property architypes. Administering a scheme over a larger area would present a number of operational challenges in the very short timescale available and would reduce the chance of successful delivery. The Local Authority guidance on this phase of the funding encourages a targeted approach as opposed to the voucher scheme that was available to all up until the scheme closed. Residents in other wards within the borough can access alternative funding such as Energy Company Obligation (ECO) funding, for significant contributions towards energy efficiency measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation and replacement defective heating. Officers intend to submit a report for approval by the Portfolio Holder for Public Protection to update the Council’s flexible eligibility criteria for the ECO grant funding. It will be proposed that the household income threshold is increased to £30,000 in line with the eligibility under the grant. This change will widen the scope of ECO eligibility and will be accessible anywhere in the borough. As a result lower income households with high heating costs who are unable to access the Green Homes scheme will have opportunity to access ECO funding.