Issue - meetings

To receive a report by the Head of Environmental Management on the outcome of a bid for Intelligent Energy Europe Financial Assistance.

Approved in principle the Council’s participation in Cambridgeshire's Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) Project, to provide much needed source of funding/capacity for developing energy infrastructure initiatives and authorised the Managing Director (Communities, Partnerships and Projects) and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, to negotiate a heads of terms document, a consortium agreement governing joint working and the completion of the final form of documentation needed for the country-wide application to the EU's IEE fund for technical assistance, subject to consultation with the Executive Councillor for the Environment, on the proposed governance arrangements and full financial terms.

By way of a report by the Head of Environmental Management (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), the Cabinet were advised that an application, made jointly by five Cambridgeshire local authorities and Cambridge University, to the European Commission's Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation for Intelligent Energy Europe Financial Assistance had been successful.

Members were acquainted with the background to the project which would support the delivery of energy efficiency and energy generation schemes across Cambridgeshire.  It was explained that the project provided an opportunity for the District Council to receive €157,000 towards the cost of developing two significant business-driven energy infrastructure projects in the District.  Having noted that a decision to draw down the European funding would only be taken when the Council was certain that the two projects would deliver as required, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  (a)  that the Council's participation in Cambridgeshire's Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) Project be approved in principle, to provide much needed source of funding/capacity for developing energy infrastructure initiatives; and

  (b)  that the Managing Director (Communities, Partnerships and Projects) and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, be authorised to negotiate a heads of terms document, a consortium agreement governing joint working and the completion of the final form of documentation needed for the country-wide application to the EU's IEE fund for technical assistance, subject to consultation with the Executive Councillor for the Environment, on the proposed governance arrangements and full financial terms.