Agenda item

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:

1. There was a need to invest in the council's current stock of homes which formed around 10% of households in the district.
2. That as a responsible landlord, the council must ensure that homes were maintained to an acceptable standard.
3. That energy efficiency was a critical element for cost reduction and addressing the cost of living crisis.
4. That this programme would align with the council's core policy of Greener Faster and reducing carbon footprint.
5. That the retrofit program needed to scale quickly to benefit older and less thermally efficient homes.
6. 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:

1. Council Homes and the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) Bandings.
2. The average running costs of different home energy systems.
3. The planned works for 2023/24 and associated measures, costs, and delivery programme.
4. The potential EPC uplift as a result of measures taken.
5. The procurement challenges and solutions associated with the programme.
6. 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:

1. Clarification was sought regarding the council's statutory obligations and expected deliverables and the methodology for determining the number of properties in the programme.
2. The funding source beyond the initial two years of the programme.
3. The impact of resident demand for window retrofits on project planning and bidding structure.
4. The possibility of involving private homes and landlords in the project.
5. Comparing savings between gas and electric systems and ensuring consistent baseline calculations.
6. The potential for multiple visits and coordination among contractors once work commences.
7. The importance of tenant engagement and finding effective ways to communicate the proposition.
8. Engaging with energy providers during bill distribution as a means of resident communication.
9. 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.