Councillor Westwood, Cabinet
Member for Housing; introduced the agenda item and set out the
background and key proposals to the Retrofit Housing Program, the
introduction included the following points:
- There was
a need to invest in the council's current stock of homes which
formed around 10% of households in the district.
- That as a
responsible landlord, the council must ensure that homes were
maintained to an acceptable standard.
- That
energy efficiency was a critical element for cost reduction and
addressing the cost of living crisis.
- That this
programme would align with the council's core policy of Greener
Faster and reducing carbon footprint.
- That the
retrofit program needed to scale quickly to benefit older and less
thermally efficient homes.
-
The plan would be to improve the fabric of hundreds
of homes in the coming year which would deliver warmer homes that
were cheaper to run for residents.
Chris Scahill, Asset Manager
and Preshanta Burbidge, Energy Manager provided members with a
detailed presentation concerning “Retrofit Programmes to
Council Homes” (available
here). The
presentation discussed the following matters:
- Council
Homes and the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Standard
Assessment Procedure (SAP) Bandings.
- The
average running costs of different home energy systems.
- The
planned works for 2023/24 and associated measures, costs, and
delivery programme.
- The
potential EPC uplift as a result of measures taken.
- The
procurement challenges and solutions associated with the
programme.
-
The engagement/advice/information undertaken and
planned.
The committee was asked to
review the information provided and to provide the cabinet member
and officers with their comments. The committee proceeded to ask
questions and debate the report. In summary, the following matters
were raised:
- Clarification was sought regarding the council's statutory
obligations and expected deliverables and the methodology for
determining the number of properties in the programme.
- The
funding source beyond the initial two years of the
programme.
- The impact
of resident demand for window retrofits on project planning and
bidding structure.
- The
possibility of involving private homes and landlords in the
project.
- Comparing
savings between gas and electric systems and ensuring consistent
baseline calculations.
- The
potential for multiple visits and coordination among contractors
once work commences.
- The
importance of tenant engagement and finding effective ways to
communicate the proposition.
- Engaging
with energy providers during bill distribution as a means of
resident communication.
-
Managing expectations and staging of the retrofit
program if it became successful.
These points were responded to
by officers accordingly and were noted by Councillor Westwood,
Cabinet Member for Housing.
RESOLVED
The
Chairperson summarised the views of the committee as
follows:
1.
That the council had set a challenging
target to be carbon neutral by 2030.
2.
That the presented program demonstrated
the council’s dedication to achieving this target.
3.
That communication with residents was
crucial for their understanding of the program and its impact on
their properties and lives.
4.
That there was a need for careful project
management, including considering potential mitigations and
contingencies.
5.
That in general terms, members of the
committee expressed support for the programme.
That the Cabinet
Member and officers note the comments of the committee.